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THE 
AMERICAN  TROTTER 


A  Treatise  on  His  Origin,   History  and  Development 

BY 

S.  W.  PARLIN 

Editor  of  American   Horse  Breeder 


With    a    Preface    by 

PETER   C.    KELLOGG 


Pubihhcd  by 

AMERICAN    HORSE    BREEDER    PUBLISHING    CO- 


BOSTON,    MASSACHUSETTS 
1905 


03 


oopyeight  1905 
By  American  Hobsb  Bbbbdbb  Publishinq  Go. 


KiLBT  Linotype  Co., 
77  Kllbf  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


CONTENTS 


Chaptbe  I. 
THE    ENGLISH    RACE    HORSE. 

PAQHS. 
Byerley  Turk. — Darley  Arabian. — Godolphln  Arabian  — 
Bald  Galloway. — ^Imported  Messenger. — Imported 
Wildair.  —  Imported   Diomed.  —  Other   Imported 
Stallions 11-43 

Chapter  II. 
THE    EARLIEST    TROTTERS. 

Boston  Blue.  —  Screwdriver.  —  Top  Gallant.  —  Whale- 
bone.— ^Dutchman. — ^Lady  Suffolk,  and  Others 44-51 

Chapter  III. 

HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

Mambrino  and  Old  Abdallah. — ^Rysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian.  —  Electioneer.  —  George  Wilkes.  —  Happy 
Medium.  —  Alexander's  Abdallah.  —  Volunteer. — 
Harold.— Dictator.— Aberdeen.— Egbert.  —  Strath- 
more.  —  Other  Sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian 52-105 


111. 


COlSlTE^TS, 

Chapter  IV. 

MAMBRINO    CHIEF    FAMILY. 

PAGES. 

Lady  Thorn  (2.18  1-4). — Herr's  Mambrino  Patchen. — 
Woodford  Mambrino.  —  Mambrino  King.  —  Alma 
Mater. — Princeps. — Pancoast. — Pisk's  Mambrino 
Chief  Jr.— Clark  Chief.— Ericsson 106-120 

Chapter  V. 
THE  CLAY  FAMILY. 

Henry  Clay.  —  Cassius  M.  Clay.  —  Geo.  M.  Patchen 
(2.23  1-2). — Neaves'  Cassius  M.  Clay  Jr. — The 
Moor. — Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29). — Other  Clay 
Stallions 121-139 

Chapter  YI. 
THE    MORGAN    FAMILY. 

Justin  Morgan. — Sherman  Morgan. — Vermont  Black 
Hawk.— Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2).— Daniel  Lambert. 
—General  Knox 140-192 

Chapter  VII. 

EXTINCT    TROTTING    FAMILIES. 

Seely's  American  Star. — The  Champion  Family. — 
Scobey's  Champion.  —  Gooding's  Champion.  — 
Charley  B.  (2.25). — The  Benton  Family. — Alex- 
ander's Norman.  —  Blackwood  74.  —  Swigert. — 
The  Royal  George  Family. — Thomas  Jefferson 
(2.23) 193-210 


IV. 


Chapter  VIII. 
TROTTING    FAMILIES    FROM    PACERkS. 

PAGES. 

Pilot.—Pilot  Jr.— Bayard  (2.31 3-4).— Tattler  (2.26).— 
Daughters  of  Pilot  Jr.- Nutwood  (2.18-3-4).— 
Midnight. — ^Waterwitch. — Tackey. — Wilson's  Blue 
Bull. — Whitehall. — Rhode  Island. — Gov.  Sprague 
(2.20  1-2).  — Blanco.  — Tom  Rolfe  (2.33  1-2).— 
Young  Rolfe.  —  Pocahontas  Boy.  —  Pocahontas 
Sam 211-242 

Chapter  IX. 

TWO    PACING    FAMILIES. 

Narragansett  Pacers.  —  The  Hal  Family.  —  Kittrell's 
Tom  Hal. — Gibson's  Tom  Hal  Jr. — Brown  Hal 
(2.12  1-2) 24.3-251 

Chapter  X. 
THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

Their  Relative  Value  as  Factors  in  Trotting  Speed. — 

Notable  Examples 252-270 

Chapter  XI. 
INFLUENCE    OF    THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

Blood  Lines  of  Noted  Winners. — Top  Gallant. — Screw- 
driver.— Whalebone. — Dutchman. — Lady  Suffolk. 
—  Flora  Temple.  —  Dexter.  —  Goldsmith  Maid.  — 
Rarus.  —  St.  Julien.  —  Jay-Eye-See.  —  Maud  S. — 
Sunol.— Nancy  Hanks.— Alix.— The  Abbot.— Cres- 
ceus.— Lou  Dillon 271-290 


V. 


CONTENTS. 

Chapter  XII. 

THE    WINNING    COMBINATION. 

(Pages  291-298.) 

Chapter  XIII. 

THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

(Pages  299-313.) 


vi. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Portrait  of  the  Author,  Frontispiece. — Lx)u  Dillon. — Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  —  George  Wilkes.  —  Electioneer.  — AMx. 
—  Robert  McGregor.  —  Cresceus.  —  Happy  Medium. — 
Nancy  Hanks. — Mambrino  Patchen. — Maud  S. — Harold. 
— ^Lady  Thorn. — Gov.  Sprague. — Sunol. — Daniel  Lam- 
bert. —  Miss  Russell.  —  Gen.  Knox.  —  Dictator. — ^Bthan 
Allen. — Palo  Alto. — Brown  Hal. — Hamburg. 


vu. 


PREFACE. 


Letter  from  Hark  Comstock. 


Mr.  8.  W,  Parlin,  Editor  American  Horse  Breeder: 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  your  historical  letters  on 
the  American  trotter,  which  have  appeared  in  the 
American  Horse  Breeder,  are  to  be  published  in  book 
form.  You  are  now  among  the  earliest  of  those  who 
remain  living,  as  student  of  and  writer  upon  the 
trotting  horse.  With  the  exceptions  of  Joseph  Cairn 
Simpson  and  myself  I  recall  no  others,  now  using  the 
pen  upon  the  subject  of  light  harness  race  horse,  who 
were  your  contemporaries  as  writers  upon  that  subject 
prior  to  the  Civil  War,  in  which  as  citizen  and  sol- 
dier you  ably  did  your  duty  to  the  Union. 

Before  we  began  writing,  D.  C.  Linsley  and  Henry 
William  Herbert  (Frank  Forrester)  left  good  work  in 
book  form.  William  T.  Porter  stamped  his  individ- 
uality upon  the  old  Spirit  of  the  Times.  I  read  all  of 
these  but  never  knew  them.  George  Wilkes  to  some 
extent,  but  more  particularly  Charles  J.  Foster  (Pri- 
vateer), did  great  work  as  editors  of  the  later  Spirit. 
The  latter  edited  Hiram  Woodruff's  book.  Dr.  Ell- 
wood  Harvey  contributed  many  thoughtful  letters. 
S.  T.  Harris  wrote  ably  and  brilliantly,  and  such  cor- 
respondents as  "Larkin"  (John  L.  Cassidy),  "Sulky," 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

"Long  Islander"  (Hon.  David  W.  Jones),  "Broad 
Church"  (Thomas  Atchison),  Joseph  Cairn  Simpson, 
Thomas  C.  Patterson,  Thomae  B.  Merry  (Hidalgo), 
"Ranger"  (T.  P.  Ochiltree),  "Potomac"  (Alex.  Pres- 
ton), "Albion"  (J.  R.  Hubbard),  and  others  contrib- 
uted great  value  and  entertainment,  and  you  and  I 
had  now  and  then  a  word  to  say.  I  am  not  sure  but 
John  H.  Wallace  occasionally  contributed.  He  cer- 
tainly wrote  some  before  the  war  on  matters  pertain- 
ing to  his  duties  as  secretary  of  an  agricultural  society 
in  Iowa,  but  it  was  not  until  later  that  he  became 
authoritative  on  matters  of  pedigree. 

After  the  war  the  Turf^  Field  and  Farm  was  start- 
ed. This  brought  into  greater  prominence  its  editor- 
in-chief,  Sanders  D.  Bruce,  the  compiler  of  the  Ameri- 
can thoroughbred  stud  book;  his  brother,  Benj.  G. 
Bruce  (Neptunus),  who  afterwards  edited  a  sporting 
journal  in  Kentucky;  and  assistant  editor,  Hamilton 
Busbey.  Much  later,  perhaps  in  1876,  Wilkes  sold  a 
controlling  interest  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Times  to  E. 
A.  Buck,  who  brought  onto  his  staff  Walter  T.  Chester 
("Griffin"),  who  afterwards  joined  the  Turf^  Field  and 
Farm,  and  published  valuable  stastistical  works.  An- 
other writer  on  the  Spirit  staff  at  this  time  was  W. 
S.Vosburgh  ("Vigilant"),  the  most  graceful,  instruc- 
tive and  entertaining  writer  on  the  thoroughbred  since 
Charles  J.  Foster,  but  little  interested  in  the  trotter. 
He  now  holds  the  important  office  of  official  handicap- 
per  to  the  Jockey  Club. 

For  two  or  three  years  prior  to  the  sale  of  the 
Spirit  it  was  well  edited  by  J.  H.  Sanders,  founder 
of  that  flourishing  livestock  journal.   The  Breeder^s 


PREFACE. 

GazettCy  of  Chicago.  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Murray  wrote  in 
the  later  Spirit  and  left  a  book,  The  Perfect  Horse, 
Before  this  Cyrus  Lukens  had  commenced  to  write.  I 
don't  remember  just  when  he  began,  but  pretty  far 
back  for  so  young  a  man.  The  Western  horse  papers 
had  meantime  started  in  with  vigor,  supported  by  very 
able  pens.  They  brought  forward  "Yarrum,"  "Trot- 
wood/'  "Volunteer,"  "Veritas,"  H.  T.  White,  editor  of 
John  Splan's  book;  H.  D.  McKinney  ("Mambrino"), 
but  these  cannot  all  be  classed  among  old  timers. 

Wallace  started  his  monthly  magazine  in  1875, 
into  which  he  threw  his  aggressive  personality  and  ulti- 
mately drew  about  him  a  number  of  very  able  disciples 
and  preachers  of  his  doctrines.  Of  these  Leslie  E. 
McLeod  was  a  particularly  forceful  writer,  terse  in  ex- 
pression and  so  like  his  chief  in  style  that  it  was  some- 
times diflScult  to  discern  which  pen  wrote  the  edi- 
torial. He  also  edited  Charles  Marvin's  book  on  The 
Trotting  Horse.  Judge  Halsey  ("Iconoclast")  sprung 
from  this  school,  though  not  from  the  office,  and  wrote 
well  from  the  standpoint  of  its  dogmas.  Similarly  J. 
W.  Thompson  of  Maine  compiled  a  book  of  pedigrees 
of  Maine-bred  horses  and  conducted  a  paper,  The 
Maine  Horse  Breeders  Monthly.  Rev.  T.  A.  Hendrick 
("Aurelius")  was  another  Wallacean  advocate  of  abil- 
ity. H.  T.  Helm  was  not  of  that  school,  but  wrote 
in  the  Monthly  and  afterwards  left  an  excellent  book. 
W.  H.  Marrett  (^Vision")  wrote  for  the  Monthly  and 
the  Breeder. 

Gurney  C.  Gue  came  to  light  in  the  Monthly  office 
and  has  served  the  trotter  well  as  a  journalist  and 
as  a  compiler  of  pedigrees,  which  I  understand  are  to 


3 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

appear  in  book  form.  He  is  now  at  the  head  of  the 
harness  horse  department  of  the  'New  York  Herald, 
and  that  reminds  me  of  noble  old  Jo.  Elliott,  sporting 
editor  of  that  great  paper,  ''years  and  years  ago." 
But  I  must  not  get  down  to  the  more  recent  writers. 
They  are  numerous  and  able  and  not  a  few  of  them 
are  brilliant.  Few  subjects  are  as  well  supported  to- 
day by  philosophical  and  literary  talent  as  the  trotting 
horse.  But  I  am  not  going  to  flatter  the  youngsters 
up  to  their  real  deserts.  Their  vanity  needs  no  stim- 
ulation now.  When  they  reach  your  years  and  mine, 
and  centuries  look  shorter  to  them,  doubtless  they 
will  be  able  to  bear  becomingly  a  reasonable  degree 
of  praise;  if  it  be  bestowed  upon  them.  Suffice  it 
that,  when  we  "old  boys'^  have  dropped  out,  the  forge 
will  not  grow  cold  for  want  of  strong  young  blood 
at  the  bellows.  You  and  I  may  call  ourselves  old 
timers  when  it  is  remembered  that  we  have  both  had 
discussions  through  the  press  with  nearly  all  of  the 
writers  excepting  the  very  earliest. 

Now  that  I  have  paved  the  way  I  want  to  speak  in 
high  praise  of  your  career  as  a  writer  upon  horse 
topics,  horse  history  and  the  philosophy  of  breeding. 
Your  contributions  to  the  press  have  ever  been  tem- 
pered with  logical  reasonableness  and  fortified  with 
a  great  degree  of  accuracy.  Even  in  response  to  cap- 
tious criticism  you  have  always  maintained  an  atti 
tude  of  surprising  courtesy,  of  which  I  wish  I  could 
have  been  a  closer  imitator,  and  which  I  commend  aa 
an  example  to  many  younger  members  of  the  guild. 
Satire,  sarcasm  and  ridicule  are  not  argument.     They 


PREFACE. 

are  the  resort  of  the  weak  when  standing  upon  un- 
certain ground.  I  do  not  deny  that  they  take  with 
the  thoughtless  and  superficial.  For  that  reason  they 
often  do  great  harm  and  retard  progress,  but  they  do 
not  stop  it.  Ultimately  the  true  merits  of  the  ques 
tion  are  recognized.  When  a  man  who  aspires  to  a 
reputation  for  philosophical  argument,  drops  logic 
and  resorts  to  ridicule,  it  is  a  pretty  sure  sign  that  he 
is  beaten  and  knows  it,  but  wants  to  conceal  it.  I 
have  never  seen  you  driven  into  that  corner. 

I  can  scarcely  have  missed  reading  much  that  you 
ever  wrote.  The  channels  of  such  literature  prior  to 
the  seventies  were  few.  We  writers  subscribed  to 
them  all,  and  we  knew  of  each  other,  whether  person- 
ally acquainted  or  not.  It  must  have  been  about  1876 
that  you  dropped  floating  correspondence  and  assumed 
a  trotting  horse  corner  in  the  American  Cultivator  of 
Boston,  published  by  our  mutual  friend,  George  B. 
JameSj  who  in  time  was  encouraged  to  establish  the 
American  Horse  Breeder.  Thi?^  you  have  edited  from 
its  commencement  in  about  1882.  I  do  not  think  I 
have  missed  a  dozen  numbers  of  either  paper  since  you 
became  identified  with  them.  There  are  many  able 
journals  identified  with  the  trotting  horse  which  I 
have  read  and  which  I  continue  to  read  with  great 
profit  and  satisfaction.  It  is  no  reflection  upon  any 
of  the  others  to  say  that,  imbued  as  my  mind  has  ever 
been  with  the  breeding  subject  as  its  paramount  theme, 
The  Breeder,  edited  by  you  up  to  the  significance  of  its 
title,  has  for  a  long  time  been  my  favorite  horse 
journal. 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Perhaps  one  reason  why  your  editorial  pages  have 
held  my  interest  is  that  in  general  we  have  been 
in  accord  in  our  views  upon  the  breeding  subject. 
Many  younger  writers  are  against  us  in  that  we  place 
so  great  a  value  upon  blood  that  is  far  back  in  the 
pedigrees  of  modern  great  horses.  A  view  has  been 
exaggerated  among  them  that  handling  and  develop- 
ment per  se  have  changed  the  innate  character  of  the 
horses  that  are  now  successful  on  the  tracks  and 
that  the  same  treatment  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion would  have  made  them  the  same  as  they  now  are, 
even  if  their  ancestors  a  dozen  removes  back  had  all 
been  cart  horses  instead  of  some  of  them  having  been 
thoroughbreds. 

Never  was  there  a  greater  fallacy.  Handling  points 
out  where  the  right  qualities  have  descended  by  in- 
heritance, and  facilitates  logical  selection  for  breed- 
ing purposes.  If  it  does  an  atom  more  than  that 
in  relation  to  heredity  it  at  most  does  very  little  more, 
and  that  little  cannot  be  philosophically  proved. 
Starting  with  a  race  of  milk-white  cats,  so  established 
as  to  breed  true  to  that  color,  you  may  dye  the  kittens 
jet  black,  and  keep  them  dyed  for  twenty  generations, 
bred  exclusively  within  the  stock,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time  not  a  kitten  will  be  born  black  from  their 
jet-dyed  parents.  Doubtless  a  dark  breed  may  be  es- 
tablished from  a  light  breed  by  careful  selection  and 
copulation,  but  not  by  manipulation.  The  inherent 
element  must  be  wrought  upon ;  not  the  acquired  ones. 
The  breeder  who  thinks  that  Diomed,  and  pyramids  of 
his  blood,  count  for  nothing  when  found  in  a  race 
horse  of  today,  whether  runner  or  trotter,  is  simply 


PREFACE. 

throwing  the  laws  of  heredity  to  the  winds.  You  can 
take  material  from  an  ore-bed  and  make  steel  of  it, 
and  you  can  take  material  from  a  clay-bed  and  make 
brick  of  it,  but  you  cannot,  in  a  hundred  years,  take 
unmixed  that  which  came  from  the  clay-bed  and  make 
steel  of  it.  Manipulation  cannot  make  something  out 
of  nothing  nor  create  improved  forms  from  a  material 
that  does  not  first  partake  of  the  essential  base  upon 
which  those  improved  forms  depend. 

You  can  blend  different  substances  and  different 
bloods,  thus  uniting  separate  bases  and  obtain  a  sur- 
prising variety  of  results  of  composite  nature,  many 
of  them  capable  of  uses  and  accomplishments  far  be- 
yond the  reach  of  any  one  separate  element  of  its  com- 
position. While  unmixed  clay  can  never  be  manipu- 
lated into  steel,  it  may  by  blending  with  other  ele- 
ments be  made  the  basis  of  another  metal — aluminum. 
Nevertheless,  to  do  this,  there  must  have  existed  in 
each  contributive  element  of  the  compound  an  innate 
essential  quality  placed  there  by  nature  as  a  basic 
contribution  to  the  blend,  that  is  greater  than  any  of 
its  separate  parts.  Diomed  may  not  have  trotted 
much  in  his  own  right,  but  he,  or  his  equivalent,  is  as 
essential  an  element  in  a  race  horse  of  either  kind  to- 
day as  he  was  to  our  runners  of  60  to  100  years  ago 
when  his  blood,  often  inbred,  swept  everything  before 
it;  nor  has  it  yet  ceased  to  assert  its  power,  as  fre- 
quently pointed  out  by  the  best  analytical  authorities 
on  the  breeding  of  the  modern  American  thorough- 
bred. If  Diomed's  essential  quality  has  been  trans- 
mitted to  the  present  time  in  the  running  field,  is  there 
reason  to  doubt  that  his  blood  affects,  according  to  its 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

nature,  the  trotter  of  today  that  possesses  multipli- 
cations of  it? 

It  has  always  been  a  gratification  to  me  in  reading 
your  articles  to  recognize  that  you  have  ever  duly 
appreciated  the  physical  quality  of  the  thoroughbred 
— his  organism — as  a  valuable  adjunct  in  raising  the 
trotting  breed  to  its  present  standard.  I  rejoice  with 
you  and  those  other  writers  who  have  never  yielded  to 
the  tirade  against  this  view  led  by  the  late  compiler  of 
the  Trotting  Register,  His  deep-seated  prejudices 
against  the  thoroughbred  and  in  favor  of  what  he 
called  ''pacing  blood''  in  my  judgment  totally  disqual- 
ified him  as  a  candid  and  truthful  renderer  of  pedi- 
grees, during  most  of  the  time  he  was  so  employed. 

I  can  foresee  that  your  book  will  be  of  great  value 
in  controverting  many  important  instances  falsely  of 
record,  on  account  of  this  unfortunate  bias  of  the  for- 
mer compiler  of  the  Register,  Your  careful  work  in 
searching  and  compiling  evidence  for  the  vindication 
of  the  real,  and  the  controversion  of  distorted,  horse 
history,  has  always  commanded  my  respect  and  ad- 
miration. Many  a  time  I  have  laboriously  gone  back 
through  old  files  of  The  Breeder  to  re-read  such  mat- 
ters from  your  pen.  The  convenience  of  having  them 
in  book  form  will  be  a  boon  to 

Yours  fraternally, 

PETER  C.  KELLOGG, 
Otherwise  ^^Hark  Comstock.-' 

New  York,  January,  1905. 


The  American  Trotter 


INTRODUCTION. 


America  surpasses  all  other  nations  of  the  world  in 
many  respects,  but  probably  in  none  other  more  than  in 
the  quality  of  its  light-harness  horse.  The  trotters  and 
pacers  bred  and  raised  here  excel  in  speed  those  pro- 
duced in  any  other  quarter  of  the  globe.  This  is  due  to 
several  causes,  prominent  among  which  are  our  parlor 
tracks,  light-harnesses,  so  fashioned  and  adjusted  as  to 
allow  the  greatest  freedom  of  action,  light,  easy -running 
sulkies,  which  are  the  best  in  the  world;  the  skill  of 
American  trainers  of  trotting  horses,  and  farriers,  both 
of  whom  are  superior  to  those  of  any  other  nation  in 
training  and  balancing  the  trotter.  The  chief  cau«e  of 
the  superiority  of  our  trotters,  however,  is  undoubtedly 
due  to  the  excellent  foundation  for  a  trotting  family 
that  was  laid  in  this  country  by  the  English  running 
horse,  imported  Messenger,  and  the  methods  followed 
by  American  breeders.  As  all  the  record-breaking  trot- 
ters in  this  country  during  the  past  forty  years  have 
been  descendants  of  imported  Messenger,  it  must  be 
interesting  and  profitable  to  the  young  student  of  the 


THE  AMERICAN   TROTTER. 

trotting  breeding  problem  to  learn  something  of  the 
origin,  history  and  character  of  the  ancestors  of  that 
wonderful  animal. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century  the  fastest 
trotters  in  the  world  were  produced  in  England.  They 
were  known  there  as  Norfolk  trotters.  They  could  at 
that  time  trot  one  mile  or  one  hundred  miles  in  less 
time  than  any  of  the  trotters  that  had  ever  been  pro- 
duced in  this  or  any  other  country.  It  is  stated  upon 
good  authority  that  a  mare  called  Nonpareil  trotted  100 
miles  in  nine  hours  and  fifty-seven  seconds,  pulling  a 
vehicle  called  a  match  cart.  This  performance  occurred 
at  least  ten  years  before  the  American  mare  Fanny 
Jenks  trotted  100  miles  in  nine  hours,  thirty-eight 
minutes  and  three  seconds.  Early  in  the  thirties  a 
stallion  named  Norfolk  Phenomenon,  bred  and  raised  in 
England,  trotted  two  miles  in  five  minutes  and  four 
seconds.  The  best  time  ever  made  for  two  miles  by  a 
trotter  in  America  previous  to  1840  was  five  minutes 
and  eleven  seconds,  which  is  seven  seconds  slower  than 
the  time  of  Norfolk  Phenomenon.  Both  Nonpareil  and 
Norfolk  Phenomenon  were  by  Fireaway,  a  Norfolk 
trotter,  that  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Blaze,  by  Flying 
Childers.  The  dam  of  Norfolk  Phenomenon  also  traced 
directly  to  Blaze  through  her  sire. 


The  following  chapters  were  written  previous  to  the 
issue  of  the  Year  Book  of  1904,  and  the  records  of 
horses,  produce  of  stallions  and  mares  and  kindred 
statistics,  were  compiled  with  reference  to  the  returns 
of  1903. 


10 


Chapter  I. 
THE  ENGLISH  RAGE  HORSE. 


Byerley  Turk. — Darley  Arabian. — GodolpWn  Arabian. — ^Bald 
Galloway.  —  Imported  Messenger.  —  Imported  Wildair.  — 
Imported  Diomed.  —  Other  Imported  Stallions. 

Horse  racing  has  been  a  popular  sport  for  many 
centuries.  It  was  a  favorite  pastime  with  the  Greeks 
for  at  least  600  years  before  the  Christian  era.  The 
races  in  those  early  days  were  to  chariots.  It  is  a 
matter  of  history,  too,  that  the  Romans  raced  horses 
to  chariots  at  least  four  hundred  years  before  the  birth 
of  Christ.  It  is  uncertain  when  horse  racing  first 
began  in  England.  The  English  writer  and  practical 
breeder  of  thoroughbred  racing  stock,  William  Day, 
in  his  work  entitled  "The  Horse,  How  to  Breed 
and  Rear  Him,^^  has  the  following  to  say  on  this  sub- 
ject: 

As  for  racing  in  England,  the  earliest  record  of  it  that  I 
can  light  upon  is  that  given  by  Strutt,  in  his  "Sports  and 
Pastimes  of  the  People  of  England."  Racing,  or  something 
like  it,  was  set  going  during  the  reign  of  Athelstan  (which 
extended  from  925  to  his  death  in  941,  A.  D. — Ed).  We  know 
further  thaf  this  king  (Athelstan)  received  as  a  present  from 
Germany  several  running  horses,  evidently  race  horses.  •  •  • 
Fitz  Stephen,  in  his  description  of  London,  A.  D.  1154,  says: 


11 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

Smithfield  is  a  field  where  every  Friday  there  is  a  celebrated 
rendezvous  of  fine  horses  brought  hither  to  be  sold.  He  then 
speaks  of  racing  and  adds  that  here  it  was  first  known  in 
England.  The  strong  and  fleet  apparently  were  only  allowed 
to  contend,  as  the  common  horses  were  ordered  out  of  the 
way,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the  course. 

I  presume  they  raced  in  those  days  for  honor  and  the  jockey 
rode  for  applause,  as  no  mention  is  made  for  stipulated  fees 
or  gratuities  to  the  riders.  But  soon  after  the  twelfth  century 
racing  was  more  common,  and  then  they  ran  for  stakes — 
forty  pounds  of  "redy  goldie."  The  distance  is  stated  three 
miles,  and  the  scene  in  the  Metropolis  transferred  from 
Smithfield  to  Hyde  Park. 

It  is  evident  from  the  above  that  horse  racing  for 
money  has  been  practiced  for  at  least  eight  hundred 
years,  and  that  horses  have  been  carefully  bred  there  for 
racing  x>urposes  even  longer  than  that.  No  records 
were  kept,  and  no  regular  accounts  preserved,  showing 
how  the  horses  finished,  or  the  time  they  made,  for 
nearly  six  hundred  years,  or  until  about  1721.  It  mat- 
ters little  to  practical  breeders  of  the  present  day  where 
the  horses  that  first  appeared  in  England  originated, 
or  the  date  that  they  first  became  established  there.  It 
is  a  matter  of  history  that  when  the  noted  Roman  war- 
rior, Julius  Caeaar,  invaded  that  country  about  54 
years  before  the  Christian  era,  horses  strong  enough 
for  cavalry  purposes  were  quite  numerous  there,  and 
the  quality  was  doubtless  improved  about  that  time  by 
crossing  with  the  horses  taken  there  by  the  Roman 
army,  and  others  sent  there  shortly  afterwards  by 
Julius  Caesar. 

William  Day  remarks  in  his  work  quoted  above  that 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  the  horses  of 
that  country  were  already  mixed  in  blood  with  the 


12 


THE    ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

breed  of  four  different  nations,  including  Turks  and 
Arabians.  The  running  horses  from  Germany,  men- 
tioned above,  added  another  cross,  which  doubtless  im- 
proved the  speed  and  racing  qualities  of  the  horse  stock 
of  that  country,  for  one  equine  historian  has  remarked 
that:  ^^The  English  horses  after  this  appear  to  have 
been  prized  on  the  continent."  Several  of  the  rulers  of 
England  at  different  periods  were  evidently  consid- 
erably interested  in  turf  sports  and  the  improvement 
of  horse  stock.  It  is  stated  that  Edward  III.,  who 
occupied  the  throne  from  1327  to  1377,  imported  fifty 
Spanish  horses  during  his  reign.  During  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII.,  who  occupied  the  throne  from  1510  to 
1.547,  by  an  act  of  Parliament,  no  "stallions  above  the 
age  of  two  years  not  being  fifteen  hands  high  were 
permitted  to  be  put  on  any  forest,  chase,  moor,  heath, 
common  or  waste  in  26  counties  of  England,  and  the 
whole  of  North  Wales,"  the  object  being  to  increase 
the  size,  usefulness  and  value  of  the  horse  stock  in  his 
kingdom. 

James  I.,  who  reigned  in  England  from  1603  to  1625, 
is  given  the  distinction,  by  English  turf  writers,  of 
being  the  first  to  try  the  experiment  of  introducing  an 
Arabian  stallion  into  England  for  the  purpose  of  im- 
proving the  horse  stock.  This  horse  was  bought  from 
an  Arabian  merchant  named  Markham,  and  was  known 
as  Markham^s  Arabian.  It  is  generally  conceded  by 
equine  historians  that  Markham's  Arabian  was  a  fail- 
ure, both  as  a  turf  performer  and  a  progenitor  of  such, 
the  effect  of  which  was  to  create  quite  a  strong  preju- 
dice against  the  Arabians. 

Place's  White  Turk,  that  was  taken  to  England  not 

13 


THE  AMERICA!!!!  TROTTER. 

long  after  Markham's  Arabian,  evidently  proved  quite 
a  valuable  factor  in  the  improvement  of  horse  stock. 
His  name  is  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  several  animals 
that  became  noted  either  as  performers  or  as  pro- 
genitors of  performers.  James  Rice,  author  of  "His- 
tory of  the  British  Turf,"  says  that  at  the  time  of  the 
reign  of  James  I.,  "We  had  in  England  a  native  breed 
of  horses,  stout  but  slow,  of  sterling  merit,  and  of  great 
powers  of  endurance — great  ^goodness,'  as  capacity  of 
staying  was  then  termed;  and  these  animals  are  the 
stock  from  which  the  British  race  horse  of  more  mod- 
ern times  has  been  derived,  and  from  judicious  crosses 
of  which  with  imported  sires  the  finest  breed  of  horses 
the  world  ever  saw  has  been  produced." 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Charles  II.,  who  held 
the  sceptre  in  England  from  1660  to  1685,  accomplished 
more  in  improving  the  English  race  horse  than  any 
person  who  preceded  him.  It  is  stated  that  he  "sent 
his  Master  of  the  horse  abroad  to  purchase  foreign  mares 
of  the  best  and  purest  blood,  as  well  as  stallions.  The 
former  were  called,  and  are  to  this  day  known  in  the 
Stud  Book  as  Royal  Mares,  though  it  appears  little 
was  then  or  is  now  known  of  their  pedigree."  The  cel- 
ebrated Eclipse  and  Highflyer  were  bred  in  the  ma- 
ternal line  from  some  of  these  royal  mares.  Within  a 
few  years  from  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  these  royal 
mares  in  England  three  stallions  were  taken  there  at 
different  times,  that  improved  the  speed  and  racing 
qualities  of  the  horse  stock  of  that  country  greatly.  In 
fact,  it  is  claimed  that  all  the  best  race  horses  that  have 
been  produced  in  England  during  the  past  two  hundred 
years  have  been  descendants  of  one  or  the  other  of  these 


14 


THE   ENGLISH   RACE   HORSE. 

three  stallions.  Many  of  the  most  famous  have  com- 
bined the  blood  of  all  three  of  them,  and  some  of  the 
very  best  that  were  descendants  of  all  three  were  also 
considerably  inbred  to  one  or  more  of  them.  These 
three  noted  stallions  were  Byerley  Turk,  Darley 
Arabian  and  Godolphin  Arabian. 

The  reliable  English  author,  William  Pick,  states 
that  "Byerley  Turk  was  Captain  Byerley's  charger  in 
Ireland  in  King  William's  wars  (1689,  etc.),  and  after- 
wards proved  a  most  excellent  stallion."  It  is  stated, 
however,  that  but  few  well-bred  mares  were  mated  with 
him.  A  few  years  later  Darley  Arabian  was  bought 
by  an  English  merchant  named  Darley,  who  was  lo- 
cated in  the  East.  He  was  a  member  of  a  hunting 
club,  through  which  he  became  acquainted  with  dis- 
tinguished sporting  men  among  the  native  princes  and 
chiefs.  This  acquaintance  enabled  Mr.  Darley  to 
secure  one  of  the  best  of  the  Eastern  horses,  and  he 
immediately  sent  him  to  England,  to  be  used  for 
stock  purposes.  His  opportunities  in  the  stud  were 
not  much  more  favorable  than  those  of  Byerley  Turk, 
but  he  proved  even  more  successful  than  the  latter. 
Godolphin  Arabian  was  the  last  of  the  three,  and 
was  in  time  the  most  successful  of  all  as  a  progenitor 
of  race  horses.  Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and 
Godolphin  Arabian  appear  to  bear  the  same  relation 
to  the  racing  stock  of  England  as  do  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian,  Mambrino  Chief  and  Henry  Clay  to  the  trotting 
stock  of  America. 

According  to  the  eminent  English  writer,  J.  H. 
Walsh  (Stonehenge),  the  breed  of  race  horses,  known 
as  thoroughbreds,  was  established  about  1750.    The 


15 


THE  AMERICA!!^   TROTTER. 

basis  of  this  breed,  as  stated  by  that  author,  was  as 
follows : 

(1)  Native  mares  used  for  racing  and  bred  from  Spanish 
and  English  strains,  the  former  most  probably  descended 
from  the  Barbs  of  Morocco. 

(2)  Markham's  Arabian,  imported  in  the  time  of  James  the 
First,  but  proved  to  be  good  for  nothing,  and  most  probably 
there  is  now  not  the  slightest  strain  of  his  blood  extant. 

(3)  Place's  White  Turk,  extensively  used,  and  to  him  most 
of  our  best  horses  can  be  traced  through  Matchem. 

(4)  The  three  Turks,  brought  over  from  the  siege  of  Vienna 
in  1684. 

(5)  The  Royal  Mares  imported  by  Charles  the  Second,  who 
sent  his  "Master  of  the  Horse  to  the  Levant"  especially  to 
procure  them.  These  are  also  mentioned  in  all  the  best 
pedigrees. 

At  the  time  the  thoroughbred  breed  was  established, 
the  English  had  been  racing  horses  for  more  than  six 
hundred  years.  There  is  no  doubt  that  during  these 
six  or  more  centuries  breeders  had  constantly  en- 
deavored to  improve  the  speed  and  staying  qualities 
of  their  horses,  by  carefully  selecting  their  best  and 
most  successful  race  mares,  and  mating  them  with 
their  fastest  stallions,  just  as  they  have  been  doing 
ever  since  the  thoroughbred  came  into  existence. 

It  is  evident,  too,  from  the  number  of  foreign  horses 
that  had  been  taken  to  England,  beginning  at  the  time 
that  those  were  landed  there  by  the  Roman  Emperor, 
when  his  troops  occupied  that  territory  some  fifty 
or  more  years  before  the  Christian  era,  and  at  different 
times  up  to  A.  D.  1700,  that  much  if  not  most  of  what 
was  termed  the  native  stock  had  become  strongly  im- 
pregnated with  the  best  of  Eastern  blood. 


16 


THE   ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

8ince  the  establishment  of  the  General  Stud  Book, 
which  was  published  in  England  in  1793,  the  records 
of  racing  there  and  the  pedigrees  of  the  winners  have 
been  carefully  kept.  This  General  8tud  Book  ''pro- 
fessed to  give  the  pedigree,  with  few  exceptions,  of 
every  animal  of  note  that  had  appeared  on  the  turf 
from  1743,  and  many  of  an  earlier  date,  with  some 
iiccount  of  foreign  horses  from  which  the  present  breed 
of  racers  is  derived.''  This  work  is  believed  to  be  the 
oldest  authenticated  record  of  pedigrees  of  horses  ever 
published. 

Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and  Godolphin 
Arabian  were  so  popular,  and  their  influence  in  im- 
proving the  speed  and  racing  qualities  of  the  thorough- 
bred stock  so  marked,  that  in  less  than  one  hundred 
years  from  the  time  that  the  first  of  the  three  began 
doing  stud  service  in  England,  all  the  most  successful 
race  winners  in  that  country,  with  scarcely  an  excep- 
tion, were  descendants  of  one  or  the  other  of  them,  and, 
as  already  remarked,  in  some  of  the  best,  like  Herod 
and  Eclipse,  the  blood  of  two  or  more  of  them  was 
combined.  No  information  concerning  the  ancestors 
of  these  three  famous  horses  is  given  in  the  General 
Stud  Book  or  in  Pick's  Turf  Register.  It  is  not  known 
that  either  of  them  was  ever  raced.  It  is  generally 
believed,  however,  that  Byerley  Turk  was  of  the  Turk- 
ish or  Morocco  breed,  and  that  the  other  two,  though 
called  Arabians,  were  pure  Barbs.  It  matters  little  at 
this  late  day  what  their  breeding  may  have  been, 
although  it  probably  was  of  the  best,  for  the  character 
of  an  animal,  like  that  of  a  tree,  is  known  by  its 
fruit.     Judging   by   the    influence   which   these   three 


TEE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

stallions  exerted  upon  the  racing  stock  of  England, 
they  must  have  been  considerably  superior  to  any  that 
had  preceded  them. 

Darley  Arabian.  Godolphin  Arabian  is  generally 
credited  with  getting  better  stock  than  either  of  the 
others.  This  was  as  might  naturally  be  expected.  He 
had  better  opportunities  than  the  others,  for  he  was 
a  later  importation.  The  best  mares  that  were  de- 
scendants of  the  other  two  were  undoubtedly  mated 
with  him  and  his  sons  after  his  reputation  was  estab- 
lished. From  the  evidence  at  hand  it  would  seem  that 
Darley  Arabian  was  entitled  to  fully  as  much  credit 
for  improving  the  speed,  courage  and  endurance  of 
the  English  thoroughbred  as  was  Godolphin  Arabian. 
It  is  not  claimed  by  any  English  author  that  Godolphin 
Arabian  ever  got  a  faster  horse  than  Flying  Childers,  a 
horse  that  raced  against  the  best  and  was  never  beaten. 
Flying  Childers  was  by  Darley  Arabian,  and  there  was 
no  cross  of  either  Byerley  Turk  or  Godolphin  Arabian 
in  his  pedigree.  Blaze,  a  son  of  Flying  Childers,  got 
Sampson,  one  of  the  best  as  well  as  the  largest  and 
strongest  race  horses  of  his  day.  Engineer,  by  Sampson, 
was  even  more  successful  as  a  race  horse  than  his  sire, 
at  least  he  was  campaigned  much  more  extensively.  He 
was  on  the  turf  six  years  and  was  beaten  only  five 
times.  Neither  Sampson  nor  Engineer  inherited  any 
of  the  blood  of  either  Byerley  Turk  or  Godolphin 
Arabian. 

From  a  daughter  of  Cade,  by  Godolphin  Arabian, 
Engineer  got  Mambrino,  an  excellent  race  horse.  He 
was  raced  some  for  six  seasons,  and  was  beaten  but 
four  times.     Unlike  his  sire  and  grandsire,  however, 


18 


TEE    ENGLISH    RACE    HORSE. 

Mambrino  never  got  a  race  horse  that  was  equal  to 
himself.  His  progeny  seemed  to  deteriorate,  so  far 
as  their  racing  ability  was  concerned.  There  are  good 
grounds  for  believing  that  he  showed  unusual  inclina- 
tion, for  a  running-bred  horse,  to  stick  to  the  trotting 
gait,  and  also  unusual  speed  ability  at  that  gait  for 
a  thoroughbred.  The  English  author,  Pick,  is  au- 
thority for  the  statement  that 

"Mambrino  was  likewise  sire  of  a  great  many  excel- 
lent Hunters — and  it  has  been  said  that  from  his  blood 
the  breed  of  horses  for  the  coach  was  brought  nearly 
to  perfection." 

His  son.  Messenger,  that  was  brought  to  America  in 
1888,  imparted  a  stronger  inclination  to  stick  to  the 
trotting  gait  than  any  other  running-bred  horse  that 
has  ever  stood  in  America.  His  history  is  related 
further  on  in  this  volume. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  owing  to  the  unusual  size, 
substance  and  coarseness  of  Sampson,  his  dam  could 
not  have  been  bred  as  represented  in  the  General  Stud 
Book,  but  must  have  had  a  cart  horse  cross  in  her 
pedigree.  William  Pick,  author  of  "Pick's  Turf  Regis- 
ter," was  a  very  careful  writer,  and  his  work  bears 
evidence  that  he  was  not  influenced  by  prejudice.  Mr. 
Pick  states  that  the  dam  of  Sampson  was  (Baboon's 
dam)  by  Hip;  second  dam  by  Spark  (son  of  the  Honey- 
comb Punch)  ;  third  dam  by  Mr.  Lister's  Snake,  and 
fourth  dam.  Lord  D'Arcy's  Queen.  Hip  was  by  Cur- 
wen  Bay  Barb,  an  Eastern  horse,  and  a  very  valuable 
sire.  The  dam  of  Hip  was  by  Lister's  Turk,  another 
Eastern  horse.  Lister's  Snake,  sire  of  the  third  dam  of 
Sampson,  was  also  by  Lister's  Turk.     John  Lawrence, 


19 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

an  able  but  evidently  prejudiced  English  writer  on 
horse  matters,  states  that  the  groom  who  was  sent  with 
the  dam  of  Sampson  when  she  was  mated  with  Blaze,  a 
son  of  Flying  Childers,  the  year  before  Sampson  was 
foaled,  said  she  only  looked  to  be  three-quarters  bred. 
It  is  not  always  safe,  however,  to  change  a  pedigree  on 
the  strength  of  a  groom's  opinion  of  the  pedigree  when 
that  opinion  is  formed  solely  on  the  appearance  of  an 
animal.  Mr.  Lawrence,  though  an  able  writer,  was 
sometimes  mistaken.  He  contended  that  the  sire  of 
Old  Shales,  the  sire  of  Scott  Shales,  that  was  the 
renowned  ancestor  of  the  Norfolk  trotters  and  of  the 
Hackneys,  was  Blank,  a  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian. 
Other  authorities  contend  that  Old  Shales  was  by 
Blaze,  the  son  of  Flying  Childers,  that  got  Sampson. 
A  thorough  investigation  brought  to  light  indisputable 
evidence,  which  proved  most  conclusively  that  Mr.  Law- 
rence was  wrong,  and  that  Old  Shales  was  by  Blaze. 
Even  the  late  John  H.  Wallace,  who  for  some  time  con- 
tended that  Lawrence  was  the  most  reliable  of  all 
English  writers,  acknowledged  that  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
wrong  in  this  case,  and  that  Old  Shales  was  by  Blaze, 
son  of  Flying  Childers,  instead  of  Blank,  by  Godolphin 
Arabian.  As  Mr.  Lawrence  erred  in  regard  to  the 
breeding  of  Old  Shales,  it  is  probable  that  Mr.  Pick 
was  right  and  Mr.  Lawrence  wrong  concerning  the 
breeding  of  the  dam  of  Sampson.  It  is  not  probable, 
however,  that  Sampson  was  strictly  thoroughbred. 

English  Eclipse  was  the  most  renowned  race  horse  in 
England  in  his  day.  He  met  the  best  horses  of  his 
time,  and  defeated  them  so  easily  that  finally  no  one 
could  be  found  to  start  a  horse  against  him.    He  was 


20 


THE    ENGLISH    RACE    HORSE, 

never  beaten  in  a  race.  Eclipse  may  not  have  been  so 
coarse  as  Sampson,  but  he  was  certainly  larger.  Stone- 
henge  says  of  this  wonderful  horse,  "Though  Eclipse 
was  very  low  before  (forward),  yet  he  was  66  inches 
high."  Now  66  inches  is  16.2  hands.  Sampson,  accord- 
ing to  Pick,  was  15.2  hands.  It  is  probable  that  66 
inches  was  the  height  of  Eclipse  over  the  hips.  He 
was  considerably  higher  behind  than  forward.  Stone- 
henge,  quoting  from  Percival,  further  says  of  Eclipse, 
"he  was  a  big  horse  in  every  sense  of  the  word; 
he  was  tall  in  stature,  lengthy  and  capacious  in  body, 
and  large  in  his  limbs,''  etc.  Eclipse,  like  Sampson, 
was  a  direct  descendant  in  the  paternal  line  of  Darley 
Arabian.  His  sire,  Marske,  was  by  Squirt,  and  Squirt 
was  by  Bartlett's  Childers,  a  son  of  Darley  Arabian. 
Bartlett's  Childers,  the  great  grandsire  of  Eclipse,  was 
full  brother  of  Flying  Childers,  the  grandsire  of  Samp- 
son. It  is  not  improbable  that  Sampson  and  Eclipse, 
which  had  a  common  origin,  inherited  their  size  from 
the  same  common  ancestor. 

In  view  of  the  development  theory,  it  is  interesting 
to  note  what  is  said  of  the  racing  career  of  the  an- 
cestors of  Eclipse  in  James  Rice's  "History  of  the 
British  Turf,"  published  in  1879,  from  which  we  quote 
as  follows:  "Bartlett's  Childers,  the  sire  of  Squirt, 
was  never  trained  at  all,  and  Snake,  the  sire  of  Squirt's 
dam,  was  never  trained."  On  the  dam's  side  Eclipse's 
own  dam,  Spiletta,  only  started  in  one  race  in  her  life, 
and  then  was  beaten,  and  her  grandsire,  Godolphin 
Arabian,  was  said  to  have  been  purchased  out  of  the 
shafts  of  a  water  cart  in  Paris. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  of  his  better  opportunities. 


21 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

it  is  not  probable  that  any  of  the  descendants  of  Godol- 
phin  Arabian  did  more  to  improve  the  racing  stock  of 
England  than  did  Flying  Childers,  Bartlett's  Childers 
and  Eclipse,  all  of  which  were  descendants  of  Darley 
Arabian. 

Byerley  Turk.  Byerley  Turk  seems  to  have  gained 
distinction  chiefly  through  his  son  Jigg,  and  the  latter 
through  one  son,  Croft's  Partner,  and  several  daughters 
that  produced  excellent  performers.  The  dam  of 
Croft's  partner  was  by  Curwen  Bay  Barb.  Pick's 
Turf  Register  says: 

Partner  was  a  horse  of  great  strength,  fine  shape  and 
beauty.  He  was  the  best  racer  of  his  time  at  Newmarket. 
He  was  allowed  to  be  as  fine  a  stallion  as  any  ever  bred 
in  this  kingdom,  and  not  inferior  to  any  foreign  one. 

The  most  noted  of  Croft's  Partner's  get,  as  a  sire, 
was  Tartar,  described  by  Pick  as  "near  15  hands  high, 
of  great  power  and  strength,  and  allowed  to  be  as  fine 
a  horse  as  any  in  England."  The  most  noted  of  the  get 
of  Tartar  was  Herod,  or  King  Herod,  as  he  was  some- 
times called.  Herod  was  quite  successful  as  a  race 
horse,  and  made  a  great  reputation  as  a  perpetuator  of 
racing  speed.  The  Turf  Register  devotes  several  pages 
to  Herod,  from  which  we  extract  the  following  verbatim ; 

King  Herod  was  a  remarkably  fine  horse,  with  uncommon 
power,  and  allowed  to  be  one  of  the  best  bred  horses  this 
kingdom  ever  produced,  and  as  a  stallion  inferior  to  none, 
being  sire  of  a  larger  number  of  racers,  stallions  and  brood 
mares  than  any  other  horse,  either  before  or  since  his  time. 

The  same  authority  states  that  in  nineteen  years 
four  hundred  and  ninety-seven  of  Herod's  get  won  two 
hundred  and  one  thousand,  five  hundred  and  five 
pounds  and  nine  shillings.     The  dam  of  Herod  was  by 


22 


THE    ENGLISH    RACE    HORSE. 

Blaze,  the  son  of  Flying  Childers,  that  got  Sampson, 
already  mentioned.  Herod^s  second  dam  was  by 
Bethell's  Arabian,  whose  get  were  very  highly  valued. 
His  third  dam  was  by  Champion,  a  son  of  Harpur's 
Arabian,  and  his  fourth  dam  was  by  Darley  Arabian, 
the  sire  of  Flying  Childers,  etc.  It  will  be  seen  by  the 
above  that  the  dam  of  Herod  was  inbred  to  Darley 
Arabian. 

GoDOLPHiN  Arabian.  Some  will  doubtless  wonder 
what  all  this  has  to  do  with  the  American  trotter.  It 
will  be  shown  in  due  time  that  the  above  descendants 
of  Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and  Godolphin 
Arabian  played  a  very  important  part  in  the  produc- 
tion of  the  best  of  our  light  harness  performers. 
Godolphin  Arabian,  that  most  writers  claim  did  more 
to  improve  the  racing  stock  of  England  than  either 
Byerley  Turk  or  Darley  Arabian,  like  the  two  last 
named,  was  of  unknown  origin.  The  best  English 
authors,  however,  are  unanimous  in  the  opinion  that 
he  was  a  Barb.  According  to  one  tradition  "Godol- 
phin Arabian  was  presented  by  the  Emperor  of 
Morocco  to  Louis  XIV.  as  a  fine  Barb,"  but  was  so 
lightly  esteemed  in  Paris  that  he  was  used  for  drawing 
a  cart  about  the  streets.  He  was  bought  by  a  Mr. 
Coke,  who  took  him  to  England,  and  gave  him  to  a  Mr. 
Williams,  proprietor  of  the  St.  James  Coffee  House, 
by  whom  he  was  presented  to  Lord  Godolphin,  a  suc- 
cessful breeder  of  racing  stock.  He  was  used,  for  a 
season  or  two,  as  a  teaser  to  Hobgoblin.  The  latter 
showed  a  great  aversion  to  Lord  Godolphin's  valuable 
race  mare,  Roxana,  and  she  was  mated  with  Godolphin 
Arabian.    The  produce  was  Lath,  and  he  proved  one 

23 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

of  the  best  race  horses  of  his  day.  When  Lath  was 
one  year  old  Roxana  was  again  mated  with  Godolphin 
Arabian,  and  the  produce  was  a  colt  foal.  Roxana 
died  when  this  colt  was  ten  days  old.  The  youngster 
was  brought  up  on  cow's  milk,  and  was  named  Cade. 
He  was  raced  three  or  four  times,  but  was  a  failure  as 
a  race  horse.  Regulus,  by  Godolphin  Arabian,  was  a 
first-class  race  horse,  fully  equal  to  Lath.  Pick  says 
that 

''Regulus  at  six  years  won  eight  Royal  Plates  and  a 
50  pound  plate.  He  was  never  beaten  and  was  much 
superior  to  any  other  horse  of  his  time.'' 

Cade,  that  started  only  three  or  four  times,  and 
was  unsuccessful  as  a  race  horse,  proved  the  most  suc- 
cessful of  all  the  sons  of  Godolphin  Arabian  as  a  per- 
petuator  of  race-winning  speed.  James  Rice,  author 
of  "History  of  the  British  Turf,"  says  that  the  greatest 
names  in  the  early  stud  books  are  undoubtedly  Herod, 
Matchem  and  Eclipse.  Herod,  as  has  already  been 
shown,  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the  male  line  of 
Byerley  Turk,  and  through  his  dam  he  was  inbred  to 
Darley  Arabian.  Matchem  was  by  Cade,  mentioned 
above,  and  his  dam  was  by  Croft's  Partner,  a  grandson 
of  Byerley  Turk,  that  has  already  been  described. 
Eclipse  was  by  Marske,  a  grandson  of  Blaze,  by  Darley 
Arabian,  and  his  dam,  Spiletta,  was  by  Regulus,  a  son 
of  Godolphin  Arabian.  The  dam  of  Regulus  was  Grey 
Robinson,  a  daughter  of  Bald  Galloway. 

Bald  Galloway.  This  Bald  Galloway  was  very 
successful  as  a  sire  of  race  winners.  He  got  some  of 
the  most  remarkable  race  horses  of  their  day.     One  of 


24 


THE   ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

them  was  called  Buckhunter,  and  also  known  as  Car- 
lisle Gelding,  was  on  the  turf  thirteen  seasons,  begin- 
ning in  1719,  and  ending  in  1731.  He  was  then 
eighteen  years  old.  He  won  seventeen  plates  after 
he  was  fourteen  years  old,  and  broke  a  leg  in  1731 
in  the  second  heat  of  a  race,  the  first  of 
which  he  had  won.  He  was  so  ungovernable  that  he 
w^as  castrated  when  young.  The  name  of  Bald  Gallo- 
way appears  in  the  pedigree  of  quite  a  number  of 
famous  race  winners  and  successful  sires.  He  got  Rox- 
ana,  the  dam  of  Lath  and  Cade,  already  mentioned. 

Bald  Galloway  received  considerable  attention  from 
the  late  J.  H.  Wallace  in  his  last  work  devoted  to  the 
horse,  entitled  "The  Horse  of  America."  Mr.  Wallace 
finally  disposes  of  him  as  follows : 

The  Bald  Galloway  was  one  of  the  most  successful  stallions 
of  his  day,  and  yet  he  was  nothing  in  the  world  but  a  good 
representative  of  the  old  pacing  Galloways  of  that  portion 
of  Scotland  called  Galloway. 

Mr.  Wallace  speaks  in  high  terms  in  the  above  named 
work  of  the  English  author,  William  Pick,  and  justly 
so,  for  every  one  who  has  read  Pick's  Turf  Register 
must  be  impressed  with  the  candor  and  absence  of 
prejudice  of  the  writer  in  every  sentence  of  the  work. 
On  Page  10,  Vol.  I.,  of  Pick's  Turf  Register,  may  be 
found  the  following: 

The  Bald  Galloway  (sire  of  Buckhunter)  was  bred  by 
Captain  Rider  of  Whittleberry  Forest,  Northamptonshire.  He 
was  got  by  a  Barb  of  Monsieur  St.  Victor  of  France,  well 
known  to  sportsmen  by  the  name  of  the  St.  Victor  Barb.  His 
dam  was  a  mare  of  Captain  Rider,  goi  by  Mr.  Fenwick's 
Whynot  (son  of  his  Barb).  His  grandam  was  a  Royal  Mare, 
etc. 

Mr.  Wallace  was  unable  to  find  any  trace  of  St. 

25 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

Victor  Barb  during  his  investigation  in  England,  henoe 
did  not  hesitate  to  declare  him  a  myth.  Had  he  care- 
fully examined  Mr.  Pick's  statement  he  would  have 
observed  that  this  Barb  which  got  Bald  Galloway  was 
owned  in  France.  If  the  French  were  as  careful  to 
preserve  their  records  of  running  stock  as  were  the 
English,  he  could  probably  have  learned  something 
concerning  St.  Victor  Barb  had  he  gone  to  France  and 
searched  the  records  there. 

Some  authors  have  confused  Whynot,  the  sire  of  the 
dam  of  Bald  Galloway,  with  Lord  Onslow's  Whynot, 
a  son  of  Crab.  Mr.  Wallace  very  properly  shows  that 
the  dam  of  Bald  Galloway  could  not  have  been  by  the 
latter,  because  this  Onslow's  Whynot  was  foaled  in 
1744,  while  Bald  Galloway  was  foaled  as  early  as  1710 
at  latest,  and  probably  earlier.  But  Pick  states  posi- 
tively that  the  dam  of  Bald  Galloway  was  Captain 
Rider's  mare,  and  that  she  was  by  Fenwick's  Whynot 
(son  of  his  Barb).  Whynot  foaled  in  1744,  was  bred 
by  Sir  John  Phillips  and  sold  to  Lord  Onslow.  He  was 
never  owned  by  Mr.  Fenwick,  and  his  sire.  Crab,  was 
not  a  Barb. 

It  was  not  Mr.  Pick's  fault  that  the  dam  of  Bald 
Galloway  has,  through  mistake,  been  credited  by  some 
authors  to  Onslow's  Whynot.  Whynot  that  got  the 
dam  of  Bald  Galloway  is  not  mentioned  in  Pick's 
Register,  except  as  shown  in  the  above  quotation.  It 
is  highly  probable  that  he,  like  St.  Victor  Barb,  sire  of 
Galloway,  was  owned  in  France.  It  is  known  that 
there  were  several  Barbs  in  that  country  at  different 
times.  Among  them  were  Curwen  Bay  Barb  and 
Thoulouse   Barb.     Who   this   Mr.   Fenwick   was,   and 

26 


THE    ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

what  Barb  got  Whynot  that  sired  the  dam  of  Bald 
Galloway,  were  probably  known  to  Mr.  Pick,  or  at  least 
to  some  reliable  person  from  whom  he  got  the  facts. 
Is  it  probable  that  the  progressive  breeders  of  England 
at  that  day  could  have  been  induced  to  mate  their 
choicest  mares  with  a  representative  of  a  pacing  family 
for  the  purpose  or  with  the  expectation  that  the 
produce  would  prove  winners  at  the  running  gait? 
The  idea  seems  too  absurd  to  be  seriously  considered. 
If  Mr.  Wallace  got  any  information  of  that  nature  from 
a  source  that  he  believed  to  be  trustworthy,  is  it  not 
singular,  to  say  the  least,  that  he  did  not  mention  the 
author  of  the  information  that  caused  him  to  transform 
the  breeding  of  Bald  Galloway  from  pure  Eastern 
stock,  as  given  by  the  careful,  well-informed,  unpreju- 
diced equine  historian.  Pick,  to  a  pacer  from  Galloway, 
Scotland?  It  is  customary  when  changing  a  pedigree 
which  has  stood  as  that  of  Bald  Galloway  has,  for 
nearly  two  hundred  years,  to  give  at  least  part  of  the 
evidence  upon  which  the  change  is  authorized.  The 
writer  knows,  from  personal  investigation,  that  the 
dam  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk,  that  was  represented  by 
the  man  who  brought  her  to  New  Hampshire  as  a  half- 
bred  mare,  raised  in  New  Brunswick,  and  that  now 
appears  in  Wallace's  Trotting  Register  as  a  pacer,  was 
never  known  to  pace  a  step  in  her  life. 

The  name  of  this  Bald  Galloway  appears  several 
times,  remotely  it  is  true,  in  the  pedigrees  of  the  most 
noted  light-harness  performers  in  America,  from  old 
Top  Gallant  to  Lou  Dillon,  and  Pocahontas  to  Dan 
Patch,    Pick's  Turf  Register,  Vol.  I.,  also  mentions 


27 


TEE  AMERICAN  TROTTER, 

a  horse  called  Mixbury  Galloway,  that  was  got  by  Our- 
wen  Bay  Barb.  This  Mixbury  Galloway  was  on  the 
turf  in  1725,  and  won  several  plates  at  York  that 
season,  one  of  which  was  called  the  Galloway  plate. 
He  was  a  small  horse,  only  13.2  hands  high.  It  is  not 
known  that  he  was  in  any  way  related  to  Bald 
Galloway. 

The  horse,  which  is  the  central  figure  in  the  founda- 
tion stock,  and  has  played  the  most  important  part  in 
the  American  trotter  so  far  as  the  inclination  to  stick 
to  the  trotting  gait  is  concerned,  is  imported  Messen- 
ger. None  of  his  get  so  far  as  known  were  trotters  of 
note,  probably  because  trotting  sports  were  not  in  vogue 
in  their  day.  Wherever  his  descendants  were  located, 
several  of  them  at  least  planted  seeds  of  trotting  incli- 
nation, which,  when  dropped  in  favorable  soil,  germi- 
nated, grew,  matured,  and  produced  trotting  fruit  in 
abundance.  Since  trotting  became  a  popular  sport  in 
this  country,  many  horses  have  founded  families  of 
trotters  that  have  flourished  for  a  time  and  then  died, 
or  became  absorbed  by  other  more  potent  families,  until 
today  there  are  really  but  four  families  generally  recog- 
nized as  such.  Two  of  those  families  were  founded  by 
descendants  of  imported  Messenger,  a  horse  of  which 
we  shall  have  more  to  say  hereafter,  and  he  was  un- 
doubtedly the  most  potent  factor,  or  controlling  ele- 
ment, so  far  as  the  trotting  inclination  and  gait  is  con- 
cerned, in  one  of  the  others.  These  families  are  known 
as  the  Hambletonian,  Mambrino  Chief,  Clay  and  Mor- 
gan. Among  the  other  imported  horses  that  have 
contributed  largely  to  the  extreme  speed  and  superior 
racing  qualities  of  the  American  trotter  are  Wildair, 

28 


THE   ENGLISH   RACE   HORSE. 

Diomed,  Morton's  Traveller,  Sour  Grout,  Bellfounder 
(a  Norfolk  trotter),  Trustee,  Margrave,  Glencoe.  Con- 
sternation, Bonnie  Scotland,  Knight  of  St.  George,  etc. 
Imported  Messenger.  Imported  Messenger  was  de- 
scribed as  a  grey  horse  about  15.3  hands  high,  with 
more  substance  than  finish,  but  though  a  trifle  coarse  in 
appearance  for  a  thoroughbred,  a  quality  that  he  in- 
herited from  his  paternal  ancestors,  he  showed  some 
most  excellent  points  in  his  makeup.  He  had  great 
lung  capacity,  while  his  loins  and  quarters,  the  machin- 
ery by  means  of  which  he  was  propelled,  were  as  good 
as  the  best.  His  legs,  joints  and  feet  were  also  above 
criticism.  He  was  a  horse  of  unusual  vigor,  and  pos- 
sessed a  very  hardy  constitution,  which  he  transmitted 
with  remarkable  uniformity.  He  was  bred  by  John 
Pratt  in  England  and  foaled  in  1780.  His  sire  was 
Engineer,  by  Mambrino,  a  son  of  Sampson,  by  Blaze, 
and  he  by  Flying  Ghilders.  The  latter  was  by  Darley 
Arabian,  and  was  the  fastest  race  horse  in  England  in 
his  day. 

The  breeding  of  Messenger's  dam,  like  that  of 
Sampson,  has  been  questioned,  but  is  given  as  follows : 
By  Turf,  a  son  of  Matchem,  and  he  by  Cade,  a  son  of 
Godolphin  Arabian;  second  dam,  sister  of  Figurante, 
by  Regulus,  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian;  third  dam  by 
Starling,  a  son  of  Bay  Bolton,  etc.  He  traces  in  the 
paternal  line  directly  to  Darley  Arabian  through  Mam- 
brino, Engineer,  Sampson,  Blaze  and  Flying  Ghilders. 
His  pedigree  also  shows  three  crosses  of  Godolphin 
Arabian  and  five  of  Byerley  Turk.  Messenger  may  not 
have  been  thoroughbred.  He  probably  was  not.  He 
was  bred  for  a  race  horse,  however,  and  although  he 


29 


TEE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

probably  inherited  a  cold  cross  from  some  source  not 
far  away,  he  was  raced  in  England  with  moderate  suc- 
cess for  several  years.  He  was  not  as  successful  upon 
the  turf  as  either  his  sire,  grandsire  or  great  grandsire, 
yet  the  Racing  Calendar  shows  that  he  won  in  all 
eight  races,  received  two  forfeits  and  lost  six  races. 
He  was  brought  to  America  in  1788,  and  as  early  as 
May  that  season  was  advertised  to  stand  for  service 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.  He  was  used  in  this  country  ex- 
clusively for  stock  purposes,  and  stood  at  various 
places  in  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey  and  New  York. 
He  died  on  Long  Island,  Jan.  28,  1808.  He  was  liber- 
ally patronized  from  the  first,  and  probably  left  a  more 
numerous  progeny  than  any  horse  of  his  day. 

Only  a  very  small  proportion  of  Messenger's  get  were 
distinguished  as  race  winners.  Most  of  them  were 
large,  strong,  useful  horses,  and  highly  prized  as  gen- 
eral purpose  animals.  Most  of  the  travel  in  those  days 
was  by  stage  coach,  and  the  get  of  Messenger  were 
very  valuable  for  that  use.  Many  of  his  sons  were  kept 
for  stock  purposes,  and  his  progeny  soon  became  very 
numerous  throughout  the  Middle  and  some  of  the  East- 
ern States,  particularly  in  Maine,  where  his  son  Win- 
throp  Messenger  did  stud  service  several  years.  Some 
of  Messenger's  get  showed  excellent  trotting  action,  and 
this  characteristic  was  more  marked  in  the  get  of  his 
sons  than  in  animals  got  by  himself,  and  more  in  the 
get  of  his  grandsons  than  in  that  of  his  sons.  He  did 
more  in  the  way  of  perpetuating  the  inclination  to 
trot  than  all  the  other  stallions  that  have  ever  been 
brought  to  this  country  from  England  or  any  other 
quarter  of  the  globe. 


30 


THE    ENGLISH    RACE    HORSE. 

Imported  Wildair.  We  will  let  Messenger  rest 
awhile,  and  consider  the  qualities  of  some  of  the  other 
imported  stallions,  whose  names  will  be  found  closely 
linked  and  blood  freely  mingled  with  his,  when  the 
record-breaking  American  trotter  is  reached.  One  of 
these  is  Wildair,  a  bay  horse,  foaled  in  1753,  and  got 
by  Cade,  a  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian.  The  dam  of 
Wildair  was  by  Steady,  he  was  by  the  renowned  Flying 
Childers,  and  his  dam.  Miss  Belvoire,  was  an  inbred 
Turk.  Pick's  "Turf  Register"  says  that  "Miss  Belvoire 
was  allowed  to  be  the  best  mare  of  her  time  that  ran  at 
Newmarket,  where  she  won  the  King's  plate  for  mares." 
The  second  dam  of  Wildair  was  by  Croft's  Partner, 
already  mentioned  as  the  best  grandson  of  Byerley 
Turk,  and  one  of  the  very  best  horses  in  England  in  his 
day.  His  other  ancestors,  though  well  bred,  were  not 
descendants  of  either  Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian  or 
Godolphin  Arabian. 

Wildair  was  raced  successfully  in  England  as  a  four 
and  five-year-old.  He  won  an  excellent  four-mile  race 
for  horses  of  all  ages,  beating  by  more  than  a  distance 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  Dan,  by  Regulus.  He  was 
bought  and  brought  to  this  country  by  James  Delancy 
not  far  from  1765.  He  was  so  highly  esteemed  in  Eng- 
land that  in  1773  he  was  bought  by  the  English  gentle- 
man, Edward  Leedes,  Esq.,  and  taken  back  to  that 
country,  where  he  was  kept  for  stock  purposes.  He  got 
several  good  racers  in  this  country,  one  of  which  was 
Slammerkin,  the  third  dam  of  Messenger's  son,  Mam- 
brino,  that  sired  Abdallah.  The  blood  of  Wildair, 
according  to  Joseph  Battell,  Esq.,  was  also  an  element 
in  the  dam  of  Justin  Morgan,  founder  of  the  noted 


31 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Morgan  family  of  horses.  Wildair  was  the  only  im- 
ported stallion  that  the  English  breeders  ever  bought 
in  America  and  took  back  to  that  country  for  stock 
purposes. 

Imported  Diomed.  The  next  imported  horse  that 
claims  attention,  on  account  of  his  blood  mingling  with 
that  of  imported  Messenger  in  many  of  the  fastest 
American  trotters  and  pacers  ever  produced,  is  Dio- 
med. He  is  described  as  a  solid  chestnut,  with  some 
white  on  the  heel  of  right  hind  foot;  stood  15.3  hands, 
had  plenty  of  substance  and  great  muscular  power.  He 
was  bred  by  Sir  Charles  Bunbury  and  foaled  in  1777. 
His  sire,  Florizel,  was  by  the  renowned  Herod  and 
from  a  daughter  of  Cygnet,  by  Godolphin  Arabian. 
Diomed's  dam  was  a  sister  of  Juno,  a  direct  descend- 
ant in  the  paternal  line  of  Alcock's  Arabian.  The  sec- 
ond dam  of  Diomed  was  by  Blank,  and  he  was  by 
Godolphin  Arabian,  from  a  daughter  of  Bartlett'a 
Childers,  a  full  brother  of  the  renowned  Flying  Child- 
ers.  Diomed's  third  dam  was  by  Flying  Childers,  the 
fastest  of  the  get  of  Darley  Arabian,  and  the  most  re 
nowned  race  horse  in  England  in  his  day.  An  analy- 
sis of  the  pedigree  of  Diomed  shows  that  he  inherited 
seven  crosses  of  Darley  Arabian,  six  of  Byerley  Turk 
and  two  of  Godolphin  Arabian. 

Diomed  began  racing  as  a  three-year-old.  He  gained 
considerable  distinction  by  winning  the  first  Derby 
ever  run  in  England.  There  were  six  other  starters  in 
this  race.  He  also  won  four  other  good  races  that 
season,  and  received  several  forfeits.  He  was  raced 
successfully  as  a  four-year-old.     He  was  on  the  turf 


32 


-t 


.%    =. 


THE   ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

four  seasons,  but  was  not  so  successful  the  last  two 
seasons  as  the  first  two,  although  the  last  season  out 
he  won  an  excellent  race  for  four-mile  heats  after  losing 
the  first  to  Lottery.  Diomed  went  lame  in  his  seven- 
year-old  form,  and  was  retired  from  the  turf.  He  was 
kept  for  stock  purposes  in  England  until  1799,  when 
he  was  sold  for  fifty  guineas,  but  was  bought  not  long 
afterward  by  Col.  James  Hoomes  of  Virginia  for  one 
thousand  guineas.  He  died  the  property  of  Colonel 
Hoomes  in  1808,  being  then  thirty-one  years  old. 

Though  handicapped  with  an  infirmity  Diomed  was 
more  successful  in  England  as  a  sire  and  perpetuator 
of  race  winning  speed  than  was  Mambrino,  the  sire  of 
imported  Messenger.  The  eminent  author,  Frank 
Forester  (Henry  William  Herbert),  a  native  of  Eng- 
land and  quite  familiar  with  the  horse  stock,  both  of 
England  and  America,  makes  the  following  statement 
concerning  Diomed  in  his  interesting  work  entitled 
^^The  Horse  of  xlmerica,"  Vol.  1,  page  175. 

Diomed,  by  Florizel;  dam  by  Spectator, — See  General  Stud 
Book,  Page  193 — was  a  very  distinguished  racer  in  England, 
the  first  winner  of  the  Derby;  and  as  a  stallion,  although 
placed  in  competition  with  Highflyer,  Sir  Peter  Teazle, 
Rockingham,  Pegasus,  etc.,  was  no  less  celebrated. 

The  above  author  then  gives  quite  a  lengthty  list  of 
the  animals  that  Diomed  got  in  England,  between  1786 
and  1794,  one  of  which  he  describes  as  follows : 

Gray  Diomed,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  horses  that  ever 
ran  in  England,  afterwards  ran  with  such  success  in  Russia, 
that  several  of  his  stock  were  sent  for  from  that  empire. 

The  stallions  mentioned  above  with  which  Diomed 
was  placed  in  competition  were  considered  among  the 
most  successful  sires  of  racing  stock  in  England  in 


33 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

their  day.  Highflyer  was  never  beaten  in  a  race,  and 
was  got  by  the  renowned  Herod.  Sir  Peter  Teazle, 
generally  called  Sir  Peter,  was  by  Highflyer,  and  his 
dam  inherited  the  blood  of  Darley  Arabian,  through 
both  Flying  Childers  and  Bartlett's  Childers,  also  the 
blood  of  Godolphin  Arabian,  through  his  son  Regulus, 
a  horse  that  was  never  beaten  in  a  race.  Rockingham 
was  also  by  Highflyer,  and  from  a  daughter  of  Cade,  by 
Godolphin  Arabian;  next  dam  by  Squirt,  the  son  of 
Blaze,  by  Flying  Childers,  that  got  Marske,  sire  of  the 
unbeaten  English  Eclipse,  and  Pegasus  was  a  son  of 
the  renowned  Eclipse. 

As  already  stated,  Diomed  was  sold  in  England  at 
the  ridiculously  low  price  of  fifty  guineas.  This  low 
price  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  horse  was  unsound. 
Colonel  Hoomes  evidently  had  great  confidence  in 
Diomed's  ability  as  a  sire,  however,  for  he  paid  one 
thousand  guineas  for  the  son  of  Florizel  in  1799,  when 
the  horse  was  twenty-two  years  old,  and  had  him 
shipped  to  America.  Col.  Hoomes  was  a  resident  of 
Virginia,  and  the  horse  did  stud  service  in  that  State 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  same  year  as 
that  of  imported  Messenger.  The  fact  that  Diomed 
proved  the  most  successful  sire  of  racing  speed  in 
America  in  his  day,  shows  that  Colonel  Hoomes  did  not 
overestimate  his  ability  as  a  sire  of  race  winners. 
Among  the  best  of  his  get  were  Sir  Archy,  Ball's  Flori- 
zel, Potomac  (that  broke  the  two-mile  record) ,  Top  Gal- 
lant, Hamlintonian,  Stump  the  Dealer,  Hampton  and 
Truxton.  The  latter  was  owned  by  President  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  was  more  highly  prized  by  him  than  any 
other  of  the  several  race  horses  that  he  ever  owned. 


34 


THE    ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

Col.  S.  D.  Bruce,  the  best  authority  on  American 
thoroughbreds,  says  that  Florizel,  by  Diomed,  had  no 
equal  in  his  day.  He  never  lost  a  heat  or  paid  a  forfeit, 
and  never  felt  the  touch  of  whip  or  spur.  The  best  of 
Diomed's  get,  however,  was  Sir  Archy.  The  late  John 
H.  Wallace  paid  Sir  Archy  the  compliment  of  being  the 
''Godolphin  Arabian  of  America."  Sir  Archy  was 
beaten  a  few  times  when  first  raced,  on  account  of  sick- 
ness, but  when  he  was  four  years  old  and  fully  recov- 
ered Sir  Archy  beat  the  best  that  he  met  so  easily  that 
his  owners  offered  to  match  him  for  a  large  sum  against 
any  horse  in  the  world  in  a  four-mile  heat  race,  and 
meet  his  competitor  half  way.  The  challenge  was  not 
accepted. 

The  relative  rank  of  Diomed  as  a  sire  in  this  country 
is  best  shown  by  four  tables  published  in  1844,  by  J.  S. 
Skinner,  author  of  Skinner's  American  Turf  Register. 
These  tables  give  the  time  made  in  the  best  races  ever 
won  in  America  from  the  earliest  racing  to  the  close  of 
1843,  at  one,  two,  three  and  four  miles.  The  table  of 
best  records  for  one  mile  includes  eighteen  races.  The 
winners  of  fourteen  of  these  eighteen  races  trace  di- 
rectly in  the  paternal  line  to  imported  Diomed,  and  the 
winners  of  two  of  the  other  eighteen  were  from  dams 
that  were  direct  descendants  of  Diomed  through  their 
sires.  The  table  of  best  races  at  two-mile  heats  con- 
tains thirty-one  races.  The  winners  of  twenty-one  of 
these  were  direct  descendants  in  the  male  line  of  im- 
ported Diomed.  The  winners  of  two  of  the  others  were 
from  dams  that  trace  directly  to  Diomed  through  their 
sires.  The  third  table  contains  twenty-four  of  the  best 
races  for  three-mile  heats.     The  winners  of  sixteen  of 


35 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

these  twenty-four  races  were  by  sires  that  were  direct 
descendants  of  Diomed,  and  the  winners  of  four  of  the 
others  were  from  mares  whose  sires  trace  directly  to 
Diomed  in  the  paternal  line.  The  table  of  best  races  at 
four-mile  heats  includes  seventeen  races.  Animals 
that  trace  directly  to  Diomed  through  their  sires  won 
ten  of  these  seventeen  races,  and  three  of  the  other 
winners  were  produced  by  mares  that  were  direct  de- 
scendants of  Diomed.  Here  are  ninety  of  the  best  races 
that  were  run  in  America  up  to  1844,  and  the  winners 
of  sixty-one,  or  a  fraction  more  than  two-thirds  of 
them,  were  direct  descendants  of  old  Diomed,  while  the 
winners  of  eleven  of  the  others  were  from  mares  that 
trace  directly  to  Diomed  through  their  sires,  making  a 
total  of  seventy-two  out  of  ninety,  or  eighty  per  cent., 
of  all  these  winners  that  carried  the  blood  of  the  old 
Derby  winner. 

It  seems  almost  incredible  that  a  horse  which  was 
imported  to  this  country  in  1799,  when  twenty-two 
years  old,  could  have  so  far  surpassed  all  the  other 
stallions  in  America  as  a  progenitor  of  superior  race 
horses,  but  such  is  the  fact.  Some  have  attempted  to 
account  for  the  remarkable  showing  made  by  Diomed's 
get,  on  the  ground  that  there  had  been  but  few  thor- 
oughbreds imported  up  to  the  time  that  Diomed  did 
stud  service  in  America.  The  writer  has  carefully 
examined  the  list  of  thoroughbred  stallions  and  mares 
that  were  imported  to  this  country  up  to  and  including 
the  year  1802.  Diomed  had  then  been  in  this  country 
three  years,  and  lived  six  years  longer.  The  total 
number  of  thoroughbred  stallions,  which  had  been  im- 
ported up  to  and  including  1802,  was  two  hundred  and 

36 


TEE   ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE, 

thirty,  and  one  hundred  and  one  of  them  were  imported 
into  Virginia,  the  State  where  Diomed  did  stud  service. 
This  number  does  not  include  several  stallions  that 
were  imported  previous  to  that  date,  and  which  were 
claimed  to  be  thoroughbred,  but  whose  names  do  not 
appear  in  the  General  Stud  Book.  Neither  does  it  in- 
clude a  few  that  died  shortly  after  landing,  and  before 
doing  stud  service  in  America.  The  total  number  of 
thoroughbred  mares  which  had  been  imported  up  to 
that  date  was  eighty-two,  and  forty-four  of  these  were 
located  in  Virginia.  This  shows  most  conclusively 
that  it  was  Diomed's  superior  merit  rather  than  the 
lack  of  thoroughbred  stallions  in  this  country,  and 
especially  in  Virginia,  that  enabled  him,  in  forty-four 
years  after  landing  in  America,  to  beat  all  the  other 
sires  by  a  fraction  more  than  two  to  one,  as  a  progeni- 
tor of  winners  of  the  best  races  that  had  ever  been  run 
in  America  up  to  the  close  of  1843.  The  name  of  Dio- 
med is  found  more  frequently  in  the  pedigrees  of  record 
breaking  runners,  trotters  and  pacers  in  this  country 
than  is  that  of  any  other  animal. 

Other  Imported  Stallions.  Morton's  Traveller  was 
a  bay  horse,  foaled  in  1747.  His  sire  was  Croft's  Part- 
ner, the  best  son  of  Jigg,  by  Byerley  Turk.  The  dam  of 
Traveller  derived  most  of  her  inheritance  from  Barbs, 
Arabians  and  Turks,  but  none  of  it  came  from  Byerley 
Turk,  Darley  Arabian  or  Godolphin  Arabian.  Travel- 
ler's progeny  were  the  best  racers  that  were  bred  in 
Virginia  in  his  day.  He  got  Lloyd's  Traveller,  and 
the  latter  got  True  Briton,  that  sired  the  noted  Justin 
Morgan,  founder  of  the  celebrated  Morgan  family  of 
roadsters  and  trotters. 


37 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Sour  Grout  was  a  bay  horse  foaled  in  1786.  His  sire 
was  the  unbeaten  Highflyer,  by  Herod,  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  Byerley  Turk.  The  dam  of  Herod,  as  has 
already  been  stated,  was  inbred  to  Barley  Arabian. 
Highflyer,  as  already  stated,  was  never  beaten  in  a 
race,  and  he  sired  three  winners  of  the  Derby.  The 
dam  of  Highflyer  was  by  Blank,  a  son  of  Godolphin 
Arabian,  and  his  second  dam  was  by  Regulus,  another 
son  of  Godolphin  Arabian.  The  dam  of  Sour  Grout 
was  Jewel,  by  Squirrel ;  second  dam  by  Blank,  a  son  of 
Godolphin  Arabian ;  third  dam  by  Second,  a  son  of  Fly- 
ing Childers,  by  Darley  Arabian,  and  fourth  dam  by 
Basto,  a  son  of  Byerley  Turk.  By  this  it  will  be  seen 
that  Sour  Grout  was  inbred  to  the  three  distinguished 
horses,  Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and  Godolphin 
Arabian,  to  which  the  English  thoroughbred  is  so 
largely  indebted  for  his  superior  speed  and  other  valua- 
ble racing  qualities.  A  daughter  of  Sour  Grout  was 
mated  with  imported  Messenger,  and  the  produce  was 
Mambrino,  that  got  Abdallah,  sire  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian.  Mambrino  also  got  Mambrino  Paymaster, 
sire  of  Mambrino  Ghief.  Mambrino  will  receive  more 
attention  later  on,  but  it  will  be  well  to  bear  in  mind 
the  inheritance  of  Sour  Grout,  sire  of  his  dam. 

Imported  Bellfounder  was  a  Norfolk  trotter  that 
was  brought  to  Boston  in  1822.  He  was  a  compactly 
made,  round  barrelled,  strong  quartered,  smoothly 
turned  horse,  and  a  remarkably  good  gaited  trotter. 
His  sire,  Old  Bellfounder,  was  by  Pretender,  son  of 
Fireaway,  by  Driver,  he  by  Shales,  a  son  of  Blaze,  by 
the  famous  Flying  Ghilders,  the  fastest  of  the  get  of 
the  Darley  Arabian.    The  dam  of  Old  Bellfounder  (sire 

38 


THE    ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE, 

of  imported  Bellfounder)  was  by  Smuggler,  a  son  of 
Hue  and  Cry,  by  Scott  Shales,  and  he  by  Shales,  a  son 
of  the  Blaze,  by  Flying  Childers,  named  above.  The 
sire  of  imported  Bellfounder  was  inbred  to  Blaze,  that 
got  Sampson,  the  great  grandsire  of  imported  Messen- 
ger. Imported  Bellfounder  is  chiefly  distinguished  as 
the  sire  of  the  Charles  Kent  mare,  that  produced  Rys- 
dyk's  Hambletonian. 

Imported  Trustee  was  a  chestnut  horse,  foaled  in 
1829,  and  imported  into  New  Jersey  in  1835.  His  sire 
was  Catton,  and  Catton  was  by  Golumpus ;  dam,  Lucy 
Gray,  by  Timothy,  he  by  Highflyer,  described  above, 
and  his  dam  a  daughter  of  Blank,  by  Godolphin  Ara- 
bian. The  second  dam  of  Catton  (sire  of  imported 
Trustee)  wsls  Lucy,  whose  sire  was  Florizel,  the  son  of 
Herod,  that  got  imported  Diomed ;  Catton's  third  dam 
was  Frenzy,  by  the  invincible  Eclipse,  and  his  fourth 
dam  was  by  Engineer,  the  grandsire  of  imported  Mes- 
senger, his  fifth  dam  being  by  Blank,  son  of  Godolphin 
Arabian.  It  will  be  observed  that  some  of  the  blood 
elements  of  the  dam  of  Catton,  the  sire  of  imported 
Trustee,  were  kindred  to  those  of  both  imported  Mes- 
senger and  imported  Diomed,  a  fact  which  it  will  be 
well  to  bear  in  mind,  as  the  Trustee  blood  nicked  re- 
markably well  with  that  of  both  Messenger  and  Dio- 
med, as  will  be  shown  later.  Golumpus,  the  sire  of 
Catton,  was  by  Gohanna,  and  his  dam  was  by  Wood- 
pecker, a  son  of  the  famous  Herod,  whose  blood  ele- 
ments, as  already  stated,  combined  the  blood  of  Byer- 
ley  Turk  and  Darley  Arabian.  Gohanna  was  by  Mer- 
cury; dam  by  Matchem,  a  son  of  Cade,  by  Godolphin 
Arabian,   and   Mercury   was   by   the   world-renowned 


39 


THE    AMERICA!!^    TROTTER. 

Eclipse,  his  dam  being  a  daughter  of  Tartar,  the  sire  of 
Herod.  The  blood  of  Byerley  Turk,  Darley  Arabian 
and  Godolphin  Arabian  was  closely  interwoven  in  both 
the  sire  and  dam  of  imported  Trustee. 

Imported  Margrave  was  a  chestnut  horse,  foaled  in 
1829,  and  brought  to  this  country  in  1835.  He  was 
foaled  the  same  year,  and  also  imported  the  same 
year  as  Trustee.  His  sire  was  Muley,  by  Orville,  a 
son  of  Beningbrough,  and  he  by  King  Fergus,  a  son 
of  the  renowned  Eclipse.  The  dam  of  Muley  was  by 
Whiskey,  and  he  by  Saltram,  son  of  Eclipse.  His  sec- 
ond dam  was  the  famous  brood  mare  Young  Giantess, 
by  Diomed;  third  dam,  by  Matchem;  son  of  Cade,  by 
Godolphin  Arabian;  fourth  dam  by  Babraham,  son  of 
Godolphin  Arabian,  beyond  which  is  a  cross  of  Byerley 
Turk,  through  Croft's  Partner.  The  dam  of  Orville 
was  by  Highflyer,  one  of  the  best  sons  of  Herod.  He 
got  Sour  Grout,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Mambrino.  The 
latter  was  the  sire  of  Abdallah,  etc.  The  next  dam  of 
Orville  was  by  Sampson,  the  son  of  Blaze,  that  got 
Engineer,  and  he  in  turn  got  Mambrino,  the  sire  of 
Imported  Messenger.  The  next  dam  of  Orville  was  by 
Regulus,  a  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian.  It  will  be  seen 
by  the  above  that  the  sire  of  imported  Margrave  de- 
rived a  large  share  of  his  inheritance  from  Byerley 
Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and  Godolphin  Arabian.  The 
dam  of  Margrave  was  by  Election,  a  son  of  Gohanna, 
and  he  by  Mercury,  a  son  of  the  famous  Eclipse.  This 
Gohanna,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  the  great  grand- 
sire  in  the  paternal  line  of  imported  Trustee.  The 
second  dam  of  Margrave  was  by  Hambletonian.    This 


40 


THE    ENGLISH   RACE    HORSE. 

Hambletonian  was  by  King  Fergus,  a  son  of  the  re- 
nowned Eclipse,  and  his  dam  was  by  Highflyer,  al- 
ready mentioned  several  times.  His  second  dam  was 
by  Matchem,  a  famous  son  of  Cade,  by  Godolphin 
Arabian.  His  third  dam  was  by  Delpini,  a  son  of 
Highflyer;  his  fourth  dam  by  Phenomenon,  a  son  of 
Herod.  The  dam  of  Phenomenon  was  Frenzy,  by  the 
famous  Eclipse,  and  Frenzy's  dam  was  by  Engineer, 
the  grandsire  of  imported  Messenger.  The  blood  of 
imported  Margrave  nicked  remarkably  well  with  that 
of  imported  Messenger,  and  when  the  blood  elements 
of  the  two  horses  are  compared  side  by  side,  it  will  not 
be  surprising  to  the  student  of  the  breeding  problem 
that  such  was  the  case,  for  Messenger  and  Margrave 
had  several  strains  of  blood  in  common,  other  than 
those  that  they  inherited  through  Sampson,  the  grand- 
sire  of  Engineer. 

Imported  Glencoe  was  a  golden  chestnut  in  color, 
with  both  hind  legs  white,  half  way  to  the  hocks,  and 
a  large  star  in  the  forehead.  He  was  foaled  in  1831 
His  sire,  Sultan,  traced  straight  to  the  renowned  Herod 
through  both  sire  and  dam,  and  was  also  inbred  to  the 
unbeaten  Eclipse.  Glencoe's  dam.  Trampoline,  traced 
directly  to  the  famous  Eclipse,  both  through  her  own 
sire  and  the  sire  of  her  dam.  A  careful  analysis  of 
the  tabulated  pedigree  of  Glencoe  shows  that  he  in- 
herited no  less  than  thirty-eight  crosses  of  Godolphin 
Arabian,  twenty-six  of  Darley  Arabian  and  twenty 
two  of  Byerley  Turk.  He  first  appeared  on  the 
turf  as  a  three-year-old,  and  raced  with  fair 
success  for  two  seasons.  In  1835,  Mr.  James 
Jackson,    a    resident    of    the     State    of    Alabama, 


41 


THE    AMERICAls    TROTTER. 

sent  an  order  to  England  to  purchase  the  best  stallion 
in  the  market.  He  named  Plenipotentiary,  Priam  and 
Glencoe.  The  latter  was  bought  for  a  large  price,  and 
was  allowed  to  do  stud  service  in  England  a  part  of 
the  season  of  1836,  after  which  he  was  brought  to 
Jackson,  Alabama. 

Consternation  was  foaled  in  1841,  and  imported  to 
America  in  1846.  He  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the 
paternal  line  of  Godolphin  Arabian,  to  which  he  was 
considerably  inbred.  He  was  also  strongly  inbred  to 
Byerley  Turk  through  Herod.  He  traced  several  times 
to  the  latter  through  Highflyer  and  twice  through  old 
Diomed.  He  was  also  considerably  inbred  to  Darley 
Arabian,  to  which  he  traced  twice  through  the  famous 
Eclipse  and  once  through  Sampson,  the  great  grandsire 
of  imported  Messenger. 

Imported  Bonnie  Scotland  was  a  bay  horse,  foaled  in 
1853.  He  was  very  strongly  inbred  to  Darley  Arabian, 
to  which  he  traced  no  less  than  ten  times  through  the 
famous  Eclipse,  and  also  twice  through  Engineer,  the 
grandsire  of  imported  Messenger.  His  pedigree  shows 
numerous  crosses  of  Byerley  Turk,  many  of  which  were 
through  Highflyer,  one  of  the  best  sons  of  the  re- 
nowned Herod.  He  also  traces  to  Herod  once  through 
the  famous  brood  mare  Young  Giantess,  by  old  Diomed, 
and  again  through  Fancy,  a  full  sister  of  Diomed 
His  pedigree  also  shows  that  he  inherited  no  less  than 
thirty-four   crosses  of  renowned   Godolphin   Arabian. 

There  were  other  imported  horses  whose  names  are 
occasionally  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  noted  trotters, 
but  with  the  exception  of  imported  Paymaster,  Expe- 
dition and  Magnum  Bonum,  they  do  not  occur  with 


42 


THE    ENGLISH   FACE    HORSE. 

suflBcient  frequency  to  warrant  the  belief  that  they 
contributed  greatly  either  to  their  speed,  gameness  or 
endurance.  Both  Paymaster  and  Magnum  Bonum 
were  inbred  to  Godolphin  Arabian.  They  also  inherited 
the  blood  of  both  Byerley  Turk  and  Darley  Arabian. 
With  the  blood  lines  before  us  of  the  imported  horses 
that  have  played  an  important  part  in  that  wonderful 
family  of  horses,  we  are  now  prepared  to  consider  the 
American  trotter. 


43 


Chapter  II. 
THE  EARLIEST  TROTTERS. 


Boston  Blue.  —  Screwdriver.  —  Top  Gallant.  —  Whalebone.  — 
Dutchman. — Lady  Suffolk  and  Others. 

The  first  animal  to  gain  a  national  reputation  as  a 
trotter  in  this  country  was  called  Boston  Blue.  It  is 
a  matter  of  history  that  in  1818  Boston  Blue  was 
matched  for  |1,000  to  trot  a  mile  against  time  in  three 
minutes.  The  horse  won,  and  the  performance  at  that 
time  was  considered  nearly  as  wonderful  as  was  that 
of  Lou  Dillon  when  she  trotted  a  mile  in  two  minutes 
at  Readville  in  1903.  What  would  those  who  wit- 
nessed the  performance  of  Boston  Blue  have  thought 
had  some  one  then  predicted  that  in  eighty-five  years 
from  that  time  an  animal  would  trot  a  mile  on  a  cir- 
cular course  in  two  minutes? 

Boston  Blue  is  described  as  a  rat-tailed,  iron  gray 
gelding,  about  16  hands  high,  but  his  breeding  has 
never  been  made  public.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  a 
descendant  of  imported  Messenger,  very  likely  a  grand- 
son. He  possessed  great  endurance.  It  is  stated  upon 
good  authority  that  on  several  occasions  he  was  driven 
from  New  York  to  Philadelphia  in  a  day,  and  made 


44 


THE    EARLIEST    TROTTERS. 

the  return  trip  in  another  day.  He  was  finally  taken 
to  England,  and  there  trotted  eight  miles  in  28  minutes 
and  55  seconds.  He  also  won  several  races  at  shorter 
distances. 

It  would  appear  by  a  table,  published  by  the  late  J. 
H.  Wallace,  in  Vol.  1  of  his  Year  Book,  issued  in  1885, 
that  a  horse  called  Yankee  trotted  a  mile  in  2.59,  on 
a  half-mile  track  at  Harlem,  N.  Y.,  in  1806,  and  that 
a  chestnut  gelding  called  Boston  Horse  trotted  a  mile 
in  2.48  1-2  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  August,  1810.  This 
table  in  which  these  names  appear  is  the  last  of  a 
series  of  tables  found  near  the  end  of  every  Year  Book, 
and  is  headed,  ''Fastest  Kecords  at  Different  Decades 
Since  1800."  In  that  table  the  gray  gelding  Boston 
Blue  is  represented  as  a  black  gelding,  and  his  name 
is  given  as  Bolton  Blue.  It  is  probable  that  Yankee 
and  Boston  Horse,  with  the  performances  given  in  that 
table,  existed  only  in  the  imagination  of  the  author. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  same  author  inserted  Bolton 
Blue,  black  gelding,  instead  of  Boston  Blue,  gray  geld- 
ing, for  a  purpose  known  to  himself,  and  not 
through  an  unintentional  error.  We  would  respect- 
fully suggest  to  those  who  have  charge  of  the  Year 
Book  that  it  would  be  well  to  investigate  that  table 
and  change  it  so  as  to  correspond  with  facts. 

After  the  trotting  ball  was  set  rolling  by  Boston 
Blue  in  1818,  it  rapidly  gained  momentum.  Within 
ten  years  from  that  time  trotting  sport  in  the  North 
had  become  somewhat  common  and  quite  popular.  Its 
popularity,  though  interrupted  by  occasional  seasons 
of  depression,  has  continued  to  increase  until  it  has 
now  become  recognized  as  the  national  sport  of  the 


45 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

United  States,  and  has  also  gained  a  strong  foothold 
among  our  worthy  neighbors  in  some  sections  of 
Canada. 

But  little  attention  was  paid  at  first  to  the  blood 
lines  of  the  earliest  American  trotters.  When  the  ped- 
igrees of  the  most  noted  of  the  early  ones,  such  as 
Screw  Driver,  Top  Gallant,  Dutchman,  Whalebone, 
Betsy  Baker,  Fanny  Pullen,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  and 
Lady  Suffolk  were  investigated,  the  majority  of  them 
were  found  to  be  descendants  of  imported  Messenger. 
Their  sires  were  either  sons  or  grandsons  of  Messenger 
and  the  most  of  them  were  inbred  to  the  gray  son  of 
Mambrino.  It  is  universally  conceded  by  all  well- 
posted,  unprejudiced  horsemen,  that  Messenger  trans- 
mitted through  his  sons  a  stronger  inclination  to  stick 
to  the  trotting  gait  than  any  other  horse  in  America 
in  his  day.  He  was  really  the  foundation  of  the 
unequalled  American  trotter  of  the  present  day,  as 
will  be  shown  later  on. 

The  history  of  the  descendants  of  the  old-time  trot- 
ters mentioned  above  would  make  an  interesting  chap- 
ter. It  was  fully  related  by  the  master  reinsman, 
Hiram  Woodruff,  years  ago,  in  a  series  of  articles  that 
first  appeared  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Times,  and  later  in 
book  form  under  the  title  of  "The  Trotting  Horse  of 
America."  Some  old  men  have  asserted  that  Hiram 
Woodruff  never  wrote  those  articles.  It  is  true  that 
he  did  not  put  them  on  paper  with  his  pen.  This  was 
done  by  the  late  Charles  J.  Foster.  Hiram  Woodruff 
furnished  the  ideas,  however,  and  the  facts  related 
were  from  his  own  personal  knowledge  and  experience. 
He  had  a  personal  knowledge  of  all  the  horses  that  he 


46 


THE    EARLIEST    TROTTERS. 

described.  Most  of  them  had  been  trained  or  driven 
by  him,  and  he  had  driven  in  races  against  the  others. 
The  matter  in  the  body  of  that  work  was  all  submitted 
to  and  approved  by  Hiram  Woodruff  before  it  was 
published.  Subsequent  investigation  showed  that  the 
breeding  of  a  few  of  the  animals,  Top  Gallant  and 
Dutchman,  for  instance,  were  not  given  correctly,  but 
it  was  given  as  had  been  represented. 

Top  Gallant.     The  old-time  trotters  possessed  re- 
markable stamina.     One  of  the  most  noted  of  the  early 
ones  was  Top  Gallant,  a  bay  gelding  foaled  about  1810. 
In  Hiram  Woodruff's  work  Top  Gallant  was  mentioned 
as  a  son  of  imported  Messenger.     Careful  investiga- 
tion, however,  disclosed  the  fact  that  he  w^as  by  Cor- 
iander, a  son  of  imported  Messenger,  and  that  his  dam 
was  by  Bishop's  Hambletonian.     The  latter  was  also 
by  imported  Messenger,  and  his  dam  was  Pheasant,  a 
thoroughbred  daughter  of  imported  Shark.     The  latter 
was  by  Marske,  the  sire  of  English  Eclipse.     The  dam 
of  Shark  was  by  Snap,  a  son  of  Snip,  by  Flying  Child- 
ers.     The  second  dam  of  Shark  was  by  Marlborough, 
a  son  of    Godolphin    Arabian.     The    second  dam  of 
Bishop's  Hambletonian  was  by  imported  Medley.    Top 
Gallant  was  first  raced  as  a  runner,  but  finally  became 
a  remarkable    trotter.     He  was    more  than    fourteen 
years  old  when  it  was  discovered  that  he  could  trot 
fast.     Most  of  his  trotting  races  were  from  two  to 
four  mile  heats.     When  tw^enty-four  years  old  he  was 
able  to  give  the  best  trotters  of  that  time  all  they  could 
do  to  beat  him,  though  he  had  a  spavin  on  each  hock. 
He  won  several  races  of  three  and  four  mile  heats 
after  he  was  twenty  years  old.     One  of  Top  Gallant's 


47 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

most  troublesome  competitors  was  Whalebone,  and  he, 
too,  was  an  inbred  Messenger. 

Whalebone.  Whalebone  was  by  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian,  mentioned  above  as  the  sire  of  Top  Gallant's 
dam.  The  dam  of  Whalebone  was  by  Coffin's  Messen- 
ger, he  by  imported  Messenger  and  from  a  daughter  of 
Feather.  The  latter  was  by  imported  Light  Infantry, 
and  he  by  famous  English  Eclipse.  Top  Gallant  and 
W^halebone  were  the  best  trotters  of  their  day.  About 
the  time  that  their  racing  careers  ended,  or  their  trot- 
ting powers  began  to  wane,  a  greater  than  either  of 
them  appeared.     This  was  Dutchman. 

Dutchman.  The  famous  trainer,  Hiram  Woodruff, 
spoke  of  Dutchman  as  follows:  "For  the  combined 
excellence  of  speed,  bottom  and  constitutional  vigor 
equal  to  the  carrying  on  of  a  long  campaign,  and  im- 
proving on  it,  he  has  had  few,  if  any,  equals,  and  cer- 
tainly no  superior.  His  time  for  three  miles  still 
stands  the  best  on  record." 

Dutchman  made  a  three-mile  record  against  time  of 
7.32  1-2  to  saddle  at  Beacon  Course,  N.  J.,  August  1, 
1839,  and  it  still  stands  as  the  world's  three-mile 
champion  trotting  record  to  saddle.  The  renowned 
Flora  Temple  (2.19  3-4)  tried  to  beat  it,  but  failed. 
The  breeding  of  Dutchman  was  not  known  until  after 
Hiram  Woodruff's  book  was  published.  Through  the 
investigations  of  the  late  J.  H.  Wallace  it  was  finally 
brought  to  light,  and  he,  too,  proved  to  be  an  inbred 
Messenger.  His  sire,  Tippoo  Saib,  Jr.,  was  by  a  horse 
called  Engineer,  and  this  Engineer  was  by  the  gray 
son  of  imported  Messenger  that  was  known  as  Mam- 
brino  and  also  as  Foxhunter.     The  dam  of  Dutchman 


48 


^-^  '^ 


^^^» 


THE    EARLIEST    TROTTERS. 

was  also  by  this  same  Mambrino  (Foxhunter).  The 
dam  of  this  Mambrino,  that  got  Engineer,  sire  of  Tip- 
poo  Saib,  Jr.,  was  by  Pulaski,  a  thoroughbred  son  of 
Whynot.  The  latter  was  a  son  of  imported  Fear- 
naught.  The  second  dam  of  Mambrino  was  by  Wilkes, 
a  thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Figure.  His  third 
dam  was  by  True  Briton,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  im- 
ported Othello.  This  gray  Mambrino  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  bay  son  of  Messenger  by  that 
name,  which  got  Abdallah. 

Lady  Suffolk  (2.29  1-2).  About  the  time  that 
Dutchman's  fame  as  a  trotter  was  at  its  height,  LaiJy 
Suffolk  appeared,  and  she  was  the  first  trotter  to  take 
a  record  of  2.30  or  better,  to  harness.  This  wonderful 
mare  was  raced  for  fifteen  consecutive  seasons,  and 
won  in  all  eighty-three  races.  She  made  a  record  of 
2.29  1-2  to  harness,  in  a  race  against  Moscow,  at  the 
Beacon  Course,  New  Jersey,  October  13,  1845.  She 
won  the  first,  second  and  fifth  heats  of  that  race  in 
2.34,  2.29  1-2,  2.36.  Moscow  got  the  third  and  fourth 
heats  in  2.30,  2.34.  Lady  Suffolk  took  a  record  of 
2.26  1-2  to  saddle  in  the  first  heat  of  a  race  that  she 
won  at  the  Beacon  Course,  New  Jersey,  July  12,  1843. 
All  of  her  races  during  the  first  five  years  were  from 
two  to  four-mile  heats.  Lady  Suffolk  was  the  Gold- 
smith Maid  of  her  day,  so  far  as  speed  and  endurance 
were  concerned,  and,  like  Goldsmith  Maid,  she  Was 
raced  and  won  when  several  years  older  than  most 
horses  are  at  the  time  they  are  retired.  All  her  races 
were  against  other  horses.  She  was  never  started 
against  the  watch.  Like  Top  Gallant,  Whalebone  and 
Dutchman,  Lady  Suffolk  was  an  inbred  Messenger. 


49 


THE  AMERICAN   TROTTER. 

She  was  foaled  in  1833.  Her  sire  was  Engineer  2d, 
a  son  of  Engineer,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam 
of  Engineer  2d  was  by  Plato,  a  thoroughbred  son  of 
imported  Messenger.  Plato  was  a  full  brother  of 
Bishop's  Hambletonian.  The  second  dam  of  Engineer 
2d  was  by  Kainbow,  a  son  of  the  noted  thoroughbred, 
imported  Wildair,  the  horse  that  after  standing  in  this 
country  for  several  years  was  bought  by  an  English 
breeder  of  thoroughbred  racing  stock  and  taken  back 
to  England  again  for  stock  purposes.  The  dam  of 
Lady  Suffolk  was  by  Don  Quixote,  a  son  of  imported 
Messenger,  and  her  second  dam  was  by  Rainbow,  sire 
of  the  second  dam  of  Engineer  2d.  It  will  be  seen  by 
the  above  that  Lady  Suffolk  inherited  three  crosses 
from  imported  Messenger.  There  were  other  fast  trot- 
ters in  those  early  days  that  were  not  known  to  be 
descendants  of  imported  Messenger,  but  no  two  of  them 
could  be  traced  back  to  a  common  ancestor,  as  could 
the  four  named  above,  and  several  more  like  Fanny 
Pullen,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  and  Betsy  Baker,  all  quite 
famous  trotters  in  their  day,  and  all  by  sons  of  im- 
ported Messenger. 

No  two  of  these  noted  Messenger  trotters  were  by  the 
same  sire.  The  two  that  were  most  closely  related 
were  Top  Gallant  and  Whalebone.  The  latter  was  by 
Bishop's  Hambletonian,  and  so  was  the  dam  of  Top 
Gallant.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note,  and  especially 
interesting  to  students  of  the  breeding  problem,  that 
Engineer  2d,  sire  of  the  old  time  world's  champion 
trotter,  Lady  Suffolk,  had  a  very  similar  blood  inheri- 
tance to  that  of  old  Top  Gallant.  The  latter,  as  al- 
ready stated,  was  by  Coriander,  a  son  of  Messenger, 

50 


THE    EARLIEST    TROTTERS. 

and  his  dam  was  by  Bishop's  Hambletonian,  another 
son  of  Messenger.  The  dam  of  Coriander  (sire  of  Top 
Gallant)  was  by  Allen's  Brown  Figure,  and  his  second 
dam  was  by  Rainbow,  a  son  of  imported  Wildair.  En- 
gineer 2d,  as  above  stated,  was  by  Engineer,  a  son 
of  imported  Messenger.  His  dam  was  by  Plato,  and 
his  second  dam,  like  that  of  Coriander,  was  by  Rain- 
bow, the  son  of  imported  Wildair,  that  got  the  second 
dam  of  Top  Gallant's  sire,  Coriander.  Plato,  that  got 
the  dam  of  Engineer  2d,  was  a  full  brother  of  Bishop's 
Hambletonian,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Top  Gallant. 


51 


Chapter  III. 
HAMBLETONIAN  AND  HIS  SONS. 


Mambrino  and  Old  Abdallah. — Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. — Elec- 
tioneer.— George  Wilkes. — Happy  Medium. — Alexander's 
Abdallah.  —  Volunteer.  —  Harold. — Dictator. — Aberdeen.— 
Egbert. — Strathmore. — Other  Sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian. 

Mambrino  and  Old  Abdallah.  The  first  stallion  to 
sire  two  trotters  with  records  of  2.30  or  better  was  old 
Abdallah,  and  he  also  got  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
founder  of  the  greatest  family  of  trotters  that  the 
world  has  ever  known  or  is  ever  likely  to  know.  Ab- 
dallah was  an  angular,  flat-sided  horse,  with  a  coarse 
head,  long,  heavy  ear,  straight  neck  and  rat  tail,  was 
straight  hipped  and  light  quartered,  or  cat  hammed, 
as  described  to  the  writer  several  years  ago  by  a  man 
who  was  a  good  judge  of  conformation,  and  who  took 
care  of  the  horse  in  1849.  Though  unattractive  in 
general  appearance,  all  horsemen  who  knew  Abdallah 
agreed  that  he  showed  lots  of  quality.  He  was  a  bay 
in  color,  with  black  points,  and  his  coat  was  fine,  short 
and  glossy.  His  muscles  were  of  fine  grain,  his  bone 
of  dense,  ivory-like  texture,  his  joints  firm  and  sound, 
his  legs  clean  and  flat,  with  the  cords  and  tendons 


52 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

standing  out  prominently,  and  he  had  good  feet.  Ab- 
dallah  was  never  broken  to  harness,  but  was  a  clean, 
open-gaited  trotter  to  saddle,  and  stood  nearly  15.3  at 
the  withers.  He  was  foaled  in  1823.  His  sire  was 
Mambrino,  a  running  bred  son  of  imported  Messenger. 
His  dam,  Amazonia,  was  a  large,  angular,  raw-boned, 
coarse-headed,  long-eared,  flat-sided  mare,  not  attrac- 
tive when  standing  still,  but  a  good-gaited,  level-headed 
and  very  fast  trotter  for  her  time.  The  man  who  sold 
her  as  a  four-year-old  represented  her  to  be  a  Messen- 
ger. She  surely  had  the  Messenger  characteristics 
very  strongly  in  gait,  and  strong  circumstantial  evi- 
dence indicates  most  conclusively  that  she  was  either 
by  Saratoga,  a  son  of  Messenger,  or  by  Dove,  a  son  of 
Saratoga.  It  has  been  asserted  by  some  who  made  a 
careful  study  of  the  facts  that  Abdallah  derived  more 
of  his  trotting  quality  from  his  dam,  Amazonia,  than 
from  his  sire,  Mambrino.  He  certainly  bore  a  stronger 
resemblance  to  his  dam  than  his  sire  in  general  appear- 
ance. Amazonia  was  described  as  "a  road  mare  of 
great  distinction."  Many  who  knew  her  said  "without 
an  equal  in  her  day." 

Mambrino.  Mambrino,  the  sire  of  Abdallah,  was 
a  16-hand  bay,  with  star  in  forehead,  and  one  white 
ankle  behind.  He  was  got  by  imported  Messenger, 
and  was  foaled  in  1806.  His  dam  was  by  imported 
Sour  Grout,  he  by  Highflyer,  and  he  by  Herod.  The 
second  dam  of  Mambrino  was  by  imported  Whirligig; 
third  dam,  the  famous  Miss  Slammerkin  (also  called 
Slammerkin  and  old  Slammerkin),  by  imported 
Wildair;  the  fourth  dam,  the  imported  Cub  Mare,  by 
Cub.     Mambrino  was  bred  for  a  race  horse,  but  for 


53 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

some  cause  did  not  race  successfully.  It  may  have 
been  due  to  the  influence  of  a  cold  cross,  somewhere 
along  the  line  of  Messenger's  remote  ancestors.  He 
was  a  good-gaited  natural  trotter,  however,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  statement  of  Major  William 
Jones,  who  bought  Mambrino  from  his  breeder  when 
a  four-year-old  colt :  "I  have  been  the  breeder  of  some, 
and  the  owner  of  many  horses,  and  with  the  best  op- 
portunities of  judging,  having  ridden  him  (he  was 
never  driven)  many,  many  miles.  I  say  with  entire 
confidence,  he  was  the  best  natural  trotter  I  ever 
threw  a  leg  over.  His  walk  was  free,  flinging  and 
elastic;  his  trot  clear,  square  and  distinct,  with  a 
beautiful  roll  of  the  knee  and  great  reach  of  the 
hind  leg." 

Mambrino  imparted  the  trotting  action  and  trotting 
inclination  to  several  of  his  offspring.  The  fastest  of 
his  get  by  the  records  was  the  old-time  trotting  mare, 
Betsy  Baker,  that  took  a  record  of  2.43  1-2  in  the  third 
heat  of  a  race  which  she  won  at  Centreville,  L.  I., 
October  5,  1842.  Three  of  Mambrino's  sons  sired 
founders  of  trotting  families,  viz:  Abdallah,  Mam- 
brino Paymaster  and  Almack.  Abdallah  sired  three 
trotters  and  one  pacer  that  made  records  in  2.30  or 
better,  viz:  the  trotters.  Sir  Walter  (2.27),  Frank 
Forrester  (2.30),  and  O'Blennis  (2.30),  and  the  pacer, 
Ben  Higdon  (2.27).  At  one  time  during  his  life  Ab- 
dallah was  the  most  popular  trotting  sire  then  living. 
He  was  taken  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  the  winter  of  1840, 
but  the  breeders  there  did  not  appreciate  him,  and  he 
received  so  little  patronage  that  he  was  returned  to 
New  York.     He    received  but  little    patronage  after 


54 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

coming  back  from  Kentucky.  The  man  who  took  care 
of  him  at  one  time  stated  to  the  writer  that  the  cause 
of  his  lack  of  patronage  late  in  life  w^as  the  fact  that 
many  of  his  get,  though  good-gaited  trotters,  were  in- 
clined to  pull  too  strongly  on  the  bit  when  speeding 
on  the  road  for  the  comfort  of  their  drivers.  It  is 
said  that  the  owner  of  Abdallah  finally  gave  the  horse 
to  a  farmer  on  Long  Island,  with  the  understanding 
that  the  farmer  should  care  for  the  horse  properly  as 
long  as  the  animal  lived.  The  farmer  became  tired  of 
his  bargain,  so  the  story  goes,  and  sold  the  old  horse 
to  a  fish  peddler  for  thirty -five  dollars.  The  fish  broker 
hitched  Abdallah  to  his  cart,  but  the  horse  did  not  take 
kindly  to  that  occupation  and  kicked  himself  free. 
The  peddler  then  turned  Abdallah  loose,  and  he  finally 
died  on  Long  Island  from  neglect  and  starvation. 

Several  of  the  daughters  of  Abdallah  were  successful 
as  producers  of  trotting  speed.  Seven  of  them  in  all 
produced  standard  trotters,  and  one  of  these  trotters 
was  the  renowned  Goldsmith  Maid  (2.14).  Abdallah's 
daughters  were  very  successful  as  producers  of  sires  of 
standard  speed.  They  produced  in  all  thirty-two  stal- 
lions that  were  the  sires  of  2.30  performers. 

Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  The  most  distinguished 
of  Abdallah's  get  was  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  the 
greatest  trotting  progenitor  that  ever  lived,  and  foun- 
der of  the  renowned  Hambletonian  family  of  trotters. 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  bred  by  Jonas  Seely  of 
Sugar  Loaf,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1849. 
His  sire  was  Abdallah,  by  Mambrino,  and  his  dam  was 
the  Charles  Kent  Mare,  by  imported  Bellfounder, 
whose  breeding  has  already  been  given.     The  second 


55 


THE    AMERICA!^    TROTTER. 

dam  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  One  Eye,  by 
Bishop's  Hambletonian,  the  running  bred  son  of  im- 
ported Messenger,  that  got  the  noted  old-time  trotter 
Whalebone,  and  also  got  the  dam  of  that  other  famous 
old-time  trotter.  Top  Gallant.  This  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian was  among  the  most  successful  of  the  get  of 
imported  Messenger  as  a  race  horse,  and  also  as  a  sire 
of  trotters.  The  third  dam  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian 
was  Silvertail,  by  imported  Messenger.  His  fourth 
dam  was  Jin  Black,  a  large,  clean-limbed,  powerful 
black  mare,  with  a  bald  face  and  two  white  feet.  The 
breeding  of  Jin  Black  has  never  been  made  public. 
She  had  the  appearance  and  characteristics  of  a  thor- 
oughbred. When  young  she  was  so  "high  strung"  that 
she  was  inclined  to  be  "contrary"  and  balky,  but  this 
infirmity  was  overcome  by  kind  treatment,  and  she 
was  finally  induced  to  work  kindly,  doing  general 
work  on  a  farm,  but  the  man  who  handled  her  said 
"they  at  first  had  to  get  an  extra  strong  set  of  iron 
traces  to  prevent  her  from  breaking  them  every  day." 
Jin  Black  must  have  been  an  extra  good  mare  and 
highly  prized,  or  Mr.  Seely  would  not  have  sent  her 
to  imported  Messenger.  Her  daughter,  Silvertail,  by 
Messenger,  was  a  very  superior  animal,  and  possessed 
remarkable  endurance. 

Mr.  Jonas  Seely,  a  man  of  unquestioned  veracity,  is 
authority  for  the  statement  that  on  several  occasions 
Silvertail  was  ridden  to  saddle  one  hundred  miles  in  a 
day,  by  his  father;  and  on  one  occasion  when  he  (Jonas 
Seely)  was  about  ten  years  old,  she  carried  his  father 
to  saddle  with  him  up  behind  seventy-five  miles  in  a 
day.     It  has  never  been  stated  that  Silvertail  possessed 


56 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

good  trotting  action  or  showed  any  inclination  to  stick 
to  the  trotting  gait,  but  it  has  been  stated  upon  the 
best  of  authority  that  she  would  gallop  all  day.  This 
Silvertail,  a  daughter  of  imported  Messenger  and  Jin 
Black,  was  mated  with  Bishop's  Hambletonian,  a  run- 
ning bred  son  of  imported  Messenger,  and  one  of  his 
most  successful  sons,  both  as  a  race  winner  and  sire 
of  trotting  speed,  and  the  produce  was  a  brown  filly, 
somewhat  wilful,  "rather  hard  to  manage,  when  they 
came  to  break  her."  During  the  breaking  process  she 
had  a  stubborn  fit  one  day,  and  her  breaker  knocked 
out  one  of  her  eyes,  hence  she  was  named  One  Eye. 

Mr.  Jonas  Seely  does  not  say  anything  about  the 
trotting  inclination  or  trotting  action  of  One  Eye.  He 
did  say,  however,  to  the  late  J.  H.  Wallace,  that  Mr. 
Josiah  Jackson,  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Seely,  had  her 
mated  with  the  Norfolk  trotter,  imported  Bellfounder, 
and  the  produce,  the  Charles  Kent  Mare,  "showed  a 
fine  step  as  a  trotter,  and  was  sold  to  go  to  New  York 
city  at  a  good  price."  When  this  Charles  Kent  Mare 
was  three  years  old  her  breeder,  Mr.  Jackson,  sold  her 
to  Peter  Seely  for  three  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Seely 
sold  her  to  a  Mr.  Pray  for  four  hundred  dollars;  Mr. 
Pray  sold  her  to  a  Mr.  Chivers,  a  butcher  in  New  York 
city,  for  five  hundred  dollars,  and  Mr.  Chivers  sold 
her  to  a  New  York  banker  for  six  hundred  dollars. 
The  banker  drove  her  on  the  road  until  she  finally  got 
a  hip  knocked  down,  and  was  pretty  badly  used  up. 
She  was  lame,  and  unfit  for  road  use,  and  in  this  con- 
dition was  sold  to  Charles  Kent.  After  this  she  was 
known  as  the  Charles  Kent  Mare,  and  was  used  for 
breeding  purposes.     In  1845  Mr.  Kent  sold  this  mare 


57 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

with  a  foal  at  foot,  by  Webber^s  Tom  Thumb.  He  re- 
ceived for  the  mare  and  foal  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  dollars.  This  mare  produced  three  foals  by 
Abdallah,  two  of  which  died  before  reaching  maturity. 
The  third,  foaled  in  1849,  was  the  renowned  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  In  the  summer  of  1849,  Mr.  Seely  sold 
the  Charles  Kent  mare  and  her  foal  to  William  Rysdyk, 
who  paid  $125  for  the  two.  Mr.  Rysdyk  was  then  a  young 
man,  and  in  moderate  financial  circumstances,  but  this 
colt  finally  brought  him  quite  a  handsome  fortune. 

It  appears  from  what  has  already  been  stated,  that 
every  one  of  the  blood  lines  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian 
that  is  known  came  from  good  running  bred  ancestors, 
most  of  which  were  descendants  of  the  Byerley  Turk, 
the  Darley  Arabian  and  the  Godolphin  Arabian.  He 
was  very  closely  inbred  to  imported  Messenger.  His 
sire  was  undoubtedly  inbred  to  imported  Messenger, 
and  his  dam  was  from  a  mare  that  was  certainly  close- 
ly inbred  to  that  horse. 

Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  a  bay  in  color  with 
black  points,  a  star  in  the  forehead  and  two  white 
socks  behind.  He  stood  about  15.1 1-2  hands  high  at 
the  withers,  and  considerably  higher  at  the  hips.  His 
head  was  large  and  bony,  his  muzzle  a  trifle  coarse,  the 
profile  of  his  face  somewhat  on  the  Roman  order,  and 
his  ears  quite  large.  He  had  a  full,  intelligent  eye, 
and  a  forehead  that  indicated  ample  brain  capacity. 
His  neck  was  only  of  medium  length,  fairly  clean  at 
the  jowls,  and  well  set  upon  oblique  and  strongly 
muscled  shoulders.  His  nostrils  and  windpipe  were 
large,  indicating  good  lung  capacity.  His  withers 
were  low  and  heavily  muscled,  making  them  somewhat 

58 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

thick  and  round  instead  of  sharp.  His  barrel  was 
long  and  as  round  as  a  log.  He  had  a  good  back  and 
coupling,  long,  smoothly  rounded  hips,  a  straight 
croup,  tail  set  high,  powerfully  muscled  quarters, 
strong  gaskins,  and  clean,  sound  joints  and  limbs. 
Though  his  hind  legs  did  not  drop  straight  from  the 
hock  to  the  ground,  they  were  not  of  the  sickle  con- 
formation. He  had  a  beautiful  glossy  coat,  and  his 
muscle  was  of  the  compact,  fine-grained  quality. 

Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  a  natural,  square-gaited 
trotter.  He  was  handled  some  for  speed  as  a  three- 
year-old,  and  it  was  stated  upon  good  authority  that 
in  the  fall  of  his  three-year-old  form  he  trotted  a  mile 
in  public  in  2.48.  It  has  been  stated  by  parties 
who  were  unfriendly  to  the  horse  that  the  time  of 
this  mile  was  3.12,  but  at  least  one  reliable  man,  who 
timed  the  mile,  said  it  was  trotted  in  2.48,  and  this 
man  was  not  a  partisan  of  the  horse.  He  was  never 
trained  for  speed  after  that  season.  A  horseman  of 
large  experience  and  excellent  judgment  in  regard  to-, 
speed,  who  knew  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  well,  and  had 
ridden  behind  him,  has  stated  that  the  horse  could, 
and,  in  his  judgment,  did  show  a  2.40  clip  hitched  to 
road  wagon.  It  is  not  of  the  slightest  consequence, 
however,  at  this  late  day,  whether  he  was  a  fast  trotter 
or  not.  His  services  were  in  such  demand  that  his 
speed  could  not  have  been  developed  any  after  he  was 
three  years  old.  The  Year  Book  shows  that  he  sur- 
passed all  other  stallions  of  his  day  in  transmitting  and 
perpetuating  the  inclination  to  stick  to  the  trotting  gait. 

Hambletonian  possessed  a  remarkably  hardy  consti- 
tution, and  few  horses  that  ever  lived  have  exhibited 


59 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

equal  vigor,  or  left  so  large  a  number  of  foals.  He 
began  his  stud  career  when  but  two  years  old,  and 
with  the  exception  of  the  season  of  1868,  when  he  was 
nineteen  years  old  and  sick,  he  continued  to  do  stud 
duty  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Chester,  N.  Y., 
March  27,  1876.  The  following  table  shows  the  enor- 
mous patronage  that  he  received  during  his  life.  This 
table  wa-s  published  in  J.  H.  Sanders'  work  entitled 
"Horse  Breeding,"  and  is  believed  to  have  been  copied 
from  Hambletonian's  stud  book,  as  kept  by  the  owner 
of  the  horse.  Mares.  Per  cent.        Foals        Service 

Years.  covered.  of  foals.        dropped.  fee. 

1851    4  75  3  Free. 

1852    17  76  13  $25 

1853    101  78  78  25 

1854    88  70  62  35 

1855    89  72  64  35 

1856    87  73  64  35 

1857 87  72  63  35 

1858    72  75  54  35 

1859    95  70  66  35 

1860    106  68  72  35 

1861    98  69  68  35 

1862    1^8  70  111  35 

1863    150  61  92  75 

1864    217  67  148  100 

1865    193  67  128  300 

1866 105  71  75  500 

1867    72  58  42  500 

1868    

1869    22  81  18  500 

1870    22  72  16  500 

1871    30  80  26  500 

1872    30  80  24  500 

1873    31  65  20  500 

1874    32  75  24  500 

1875    24  8  2  500 

60 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

It  appears  from  the  above  table  that  the  total  number 
of  foals  got  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  1333. 
During  the  fifteen  seasons,  beginning  when  he  was 
four  years  old,  in  1853,  and  ending  with  the  season 
of  1867,  he  got  1187  foals,  an  average  of  seventy-nine 
each  year.  The  number  of  his  foals  that  took  records 
of  2.30  or  better  is  forty,  all  trotters,  the  fastest  of 
which  is  the  old-time  world's  champion.  Dexter, 
(2.17  1-4).  Hambletonian  is  now  credited  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  sons,  that  have  sired  1487  trotters, 
and  two  hundred  and  twenty  pacers  which  have  made 
records  in  standard  time,  while  eighty  of  his  daughters 
have  produced  one  hundred  and  ten  standard  trotters 
and  seven  standard  pacers,  a  total  of  1824. 

Seven  of  the  sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  sur- 
passed him  as  sires  of  2.30  performers,  and  another 
just  equalled  him  in  that  respect.  In  addition  to  their 
2.30  trotters  all  of  these  eight  sons  have  sired  several 
pacers  that  have  made  standard  records.  These  eight 
sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  with  figures  represent- 
ing their  number  of  2.30  trotters,  are  given  below,  to- 
gether with  the  breeding  of  their  first  and  second  dams. 
Electioneer,  b.  h.,  foaled  1868;  dam.  Green  Mountain  Maid, 
by  Harry  Clay   (2.29);    second  dam,  Shanghai  Mary, 

undoubtedly  by  Iron's  Cadmus 165 

Happy  Medium,  b.  h.,  foaled  1863;  dam,  Princess  (2.30), 
by  Andrus'  Hamhletonian ;  second,  dam,  Wilcox  Mare, 

by  Burdick's  Engineer 87 

George  Wilkes,  br.  h.,  foaled  1856;  dam  Dolly  Spanker,  by 
Henry    Clay;     second    dam,    Telegraph,    by    Baker's 

Highlander   72 

Egbert,  b.  h.,  foaled  1875;  dam,  Camptown,  by  Messenger 
Duroc;  second  dam.  Miss  McLeod,  by  Holbert  Colt, 
son  of  Hambletonian 67 


61 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

Strathmore,  b.  h.,  foaled  1866;  dam.  Lady  Waltermire,  by 
North  American ;  second  dam  by  Harris'  Hambletonian  54 

Aberdeen,  b.  h.,  foaled  1866;  dam.  Widow  Machree  (2.29), 
by  Seeley's  American  Star;  second  dam,  Duryea  Mare, 
by  Pintlar's  Bolivar 49 

Dictator,  br.  h.,  foaled  1863;  dam,  Clara,  by  Seeley's 
American  Star;  second  dam,  McKinstry  Mare 46 

Harold,  b.  h.,  foaled  1864;  dam.  Enchantress,  by  old 
Abdallah ;  second  dam,  untraced 40 

Electioneer.  Electioneer  sired  a  greater  number 
of  2.30  trotters  than  any  other  two  sons  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  The  Year  Book  credits  him  with  but 
one  hundred  and  fifty-eight.  The  books  of  the  National 
and  American  Trotting  Associations,  however,  credit 
him  with  one  hundred  and  sixty-five.  The  compilers 
of  the  Year  Book  do  not  dispute  the  records  of  the 
seven  whose  names  do  not  appear  in  Electioneer's  list 
in  that  work,  but  reject  them  because  they  were  not 
made  strictly  in  accordance  with  the  rules  suggested 
by  Mr.  Wallace,  who  was  proprietor  of  the  Year  Book 
and  Register  when  many  of  these  records  were  made. 
The  total  number  of  foals  got  by  Electioneer,  including 
about  forty  that  he  got  while  at  Stony  Ford,  was  a 
few  more  than  four  hundred  or  less  than  one-third 
the  number  got  by  his  sire,  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
yet  his  number  of  2.30  trotters  is  more  than  four  times 
that  got  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 

Electioneer  was  bred  by  Charles  Backman,  propri- 
etor of  Stony  Ford  Farm,  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled 
May  2,  1868.  Late  in  the  fall  of  1876  he  was  bought 
for  $12,500,  by  Governor  Leland  Stanford,  proprietor 
of  the  famous  Palo  Alto  breeding  establishment, 
Menlo  Park,  California.     He  was  a  dark  bay  horse 


62 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

with  both  hind  feet  and  pasterns  white,  15.2  hands 
high  at  the  withers,  and  an  inch  higher  at  the  hips. 
He  was  a  compactly  made,  smoothly  turned  animal, 
with  a  well  proportioned,  fair  sized,  brainy  head,  good 
shoulders,  round  barrel  of  good  length,  excellent  back, 
strong  loin  and  powerfully  muscled  quarters,  gaskins 
and  forearms.  His  joints  were  sound  and  clean,  his 
legs  and  feet  naturally  first-class.  He  was  well  pro- 
portioned all  over,  well  finished  and  showed  consid- 
erable quality.  He  was  broken  to  harness  as  a  three- 
year-old,  and  though  worked  but  little  showed  a  quarter 
in  thirty-eight  seconds  that  season  to  wagon.  Though 
never  developed  and  conditioned  for  racing  he  was 
a  good  gaited,  good  headed,  natural  trotter,  and  showed 
quarters  in  thirty-five  seconds,  or  better,  in  his  exercise 
on  the  Palo  Alto  Farm  track.  He  died  at  Palo  Alto, 
Dec.  3, 1890,  from  muscular  rheumatism. 

The  dam  of  Electioneer,  Green  Mountain  Maid,  was 
a  good-gaited  trotter,  and  showed  very  fast  in  the  lot. 
She  was  of  a  highly  nervous  temperament,  and  was 
never  broken  to  use  in  harness.  She  was  a  small,  wiry, 
active  animal,  only  about  fifteen  hands  high.  Her  sire, 
Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29),  was  by  Neave's  Cassius  M. 
Clay,  Jr.,  and  his  dam  was  by  imported  Bellfounder, 
the  Norfolk  trotter  that  got  the  dam  of  Rysdyk^s 
Hambletonian.  The  dam  of  Green  Mountain  Maid  was 
very  blood-like  in  appearance,  a  fast  trotter  for  her 
day,  and  was  called  Shanghai  Mary.  It  has  been 
stated  upon  apparently  good  authority  that  Shanghai 
Mary  trotted  a  mile  in  2.28.  Her  breeding  has  never 
been  fully  established,  but  there  is  strong  circumstan- 
tial evidence,  which  tends  to  prove  quite  conclusively. 


63 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

that  her  sire  was  Iron's  Cadmus,  and  that  her  dam 
was  running  bred.  Iron's  Cadmus  is  recorded  in 
Bruce's  American  Stud  Book  as  by  Cadmus  (sometimes 
called  Beech's  Cadmus)  ;  dam  by  Brunswick,  a  son  of 
Sumpter,  by  the  famous  Sir  Archy.  Cadmus,  the  sire 
of  Iron's  Cadmus,  was  by  the  renowned  four-mile  race 
winner,  American  Eclipse,  and  his  dam.  Die  Vernon, 
was  by  Ball's  Florizel,  the  son  of  imported  Diomed, 
that  got  the  dam  of  the  successful  race  horse,  Boston^ 
American  Eclipse  was  by  Duroc,  son  of  imported 
Diomed,  and  his  dam  was  Miller's  Damsel,  by  imported 
Messenger.  Miller's  Damsel  was  the  best  race  winner 
that  imported  Messenger  ever  got.  Her  dam  was  bred 
in  England,  and  got  by  Pot-8-o's,  a  son  of  the  famous 
English  Eclipse.  Pot-8-o's  sired  three  winners  of  the 
famous  English  Derby.  The  second  dam  of  Miller's 
Damsel  was  by  Gimcrack,  a  son  of  Cripple,  by 
Godolphin  Arabian.  Her  third  dam  was  by  Snap,  son 
of  Snip,  by  Flying  Childers;  her  fourth  dam  by 
Regulus,  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian,  and  her  fifth 
dam  by  Bartlett's  Childers,  full  brother  of  Flying 
Childers.  It  will  be  remembered  that  a  son  of  Bart- 
lett's Childers,  called  Squirt,  got  Marske,  sire  of  the 
unbeaten  English  Eclipse. 

Electioneer  sired  a  greater  number  of  champion 
trotters  than  have  been  sired  by  all  the  other  sons  of 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  During  his  first  season  at 
Palo  Alto,  Electioneer  got  Fred  Crocker,  that  in  1880 
reduced  the  world's  champion  trotting  record  for  two- 
year-olds  to  2.25  1-4.  Sons  and  daughters  of  Elec- 
tioneer have  held  the  world's  champion  trotting  record 
from  that  day  to  the  present  time.     In  1891  it  was 


64 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

lowered  to  2.10  3-4  by  Arion,  where  it  now  stands.  The 
world's  three-year-old  champion  trotting  record  was 
reduced  five  times  by  two  daughters  and  a  son  of 
Electioneer.  The  world's  champion  four-year-old  trot- 
ting record  was  reduced  six  times  by  three  different 
daughters  of  Electioneer.  The  world's  champion 
yearling  trotting  record  has  been  reduced  five  time* 
by  two  different  daughters  and  a  grandson  of  Elec- 
tioneer. This  grandson  of  Electioneer  was  Adbell, 
that  placed  it  at  2.23,  where  the  yearling  trotting  rec- 
ord now  stands.  Palo  Alto,  by  Electioneer,  reduced 
the  world's  champion  stallion  record  to  2.08  3-4  in 
1891.  All  the  above  champion  trotters,  except  Adbell, 
were  trained  and  driven  to  their  records  by  one  man, 
the  veteran  trainer,  Charles  Marvin. 

Several  of  the  sons  of  Electioneer  have  also  sired 
trotting  champions  at  different  ages.  Electioneer  is 
now  credited  with  ninety-nine  sons  that  have  sired 
eight  hundred  and  seventy-four  standard  trotters  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  standard  pacers.  He  is 
also  credited  with  ninety-three  daughters  that  have 
produced  one  hundred  and  thirteen  trotters  and  sixteen 
pacers,  that  have  taken  records  in  standard  time.  The 
total  number  of  standard  performers  sired  by  Elec- 
tioneer's  sons  and  produced  by  his  daughters  to  the 
close  of  1903  was  1250. 

George  Wilkes  (2.22).  George  Wilkes  was  bred  by 
Colonel  Felter  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1856. 
His  dam,  Dolly  Spanker,  was  a  noted  road  mare,  about 
15.2  hands  high,  brown  in  color,  with  white  hairs  mixed 
through  her  coat ;  foaled  in  1847  or  1848,  sired  by  Henry 
Clay,  son  of  Andrew  Jackson.     Dolly  Spanker's  dam 


65 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

was  Telegraph,  a  very  superior  roadster,  by  Baker's 
Highlander,  son  of  Paul's  Highlander,  by  Kellogg's 
Highlander,  by  Sherman  Morgan,  son  of  the  original 
Justin  Morgan.  It  is  claimed  that  the  dam  of  Tele- 
graph was  imported  from  England  and  was  running 
bred.  Dolly  Spanker  died  shortly  after  giving  birth 
to  George  Wilkes,  and  the  latter  was  raised  on  cow's 
milk.  He  was  small  and  somewhat  puny  at  first.  He 
was  a  family  pet  or  cosset  until  he  was  two  years  old 
or  upwards,  and  then  answered  to  the  name  of  Billy. 
When  two  years  old  he  was  rather  small  for  his  age 
and  somewhat  shaggy  in  appearance,  but  finally  devel- 
oped into  a  well-proportioned,  smoothly  turned  horse, 
15.1  hands  in  height,  and  was  higher  behind  than  for- 
ward. At  maturity  he  was  well  supplied  with  muscles 
of  the  hard,  fine-grained  quality.  His  quarters  and 
gaskins  were  particularly  strong.  He  was  a  brown 
color,  with  tan  muzzle  and  flanks,  and  his  right  hind 
foot  and  ankle  were  white. 

By  some  George  Wilkes  was  pronounced  a  very  hand- 
some horse.  It  was  generally  acknowledged  in  those 
days  that  Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2)  was  the  handsomest 
and  most  stylish  horse  in  harness  that  could  be  found. 
The  noted  horseman  Dunn  Walton  knew  both  Ethan 
Allen  and  George  Wilkes  well.  Mr.  Walton  is  a  born 
horseman,  and  one  of  the  best  judges  of  trotting  stock 
in  this  country.  He  was  as  firm  a  friend  of  Ethan  Al- 
len (2.25  1-2)  as  that  handsome  son  of  Vermont  Black 
Hawk  ever  had.  During  an  interview  with  Mr.  Walton 
several  years  ago  he  stated  to  the  writer  that  in  his 
judgment  George  Wilkes  was  fully  as  handsome  as 
Ethan  Allen,  but  added  that  "Ethan  Allen  was  the  best 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

gaited  trotter  and  most  perfect  road  horse  that  he 
ever  saw."  It  is  evident  that  George  Wilkes  lacked  the 
proud  bearing,  elegant  poise  and  elastic  step  which  dis- 
tinguished Ethan  Allen  and  captivated  the  general 
public. 

When  three  years  old  George  Wilkes  was  broken  to 
harness,  and  soon  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  fast  trot- 
ter. He  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  well-known 
trainer,  Horace  Jones,  who  agreed  to  keep  the  colt  and 
develop  his  speed  for  a  half  interest  in  him.  He  soon 
attracted  considerable  attention  from  horsemen  by  his 
gait,  speed  and  strong  inclination  to  stick  to  the  trot. 
Mr.  Z.  E.  Simmons,  then  of  New  York  city,  bought  the 
colt  when  about  four  years  old,  paying  $4000  cash  and 
another  horse,  if  report  was  correct.  Mr.  W.  L.  Sim- 
mons, a  brother  of  Z.  E.,  bought  an  interest  in  the  horse 
not  long  afterwards,  and  finally  became  his  sole  owner. 

The  first  race  won  by  this  remarkable  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian  was  at  Fashion  Course,  L.  I.,  August  1, 
1861.  He  was  then  called  Robert  Fillingham.  There 
were  two  other  starters,  and  it  was  a  four-heat  race. 
Robert  Fillingham  won  the  first,  third  and  fourth  heats 
in  2.33,  2.331-4,  2.34  3-4.  In  1865  his  name  was 
changed  to  George  Wilkes.  He  was  raced  every  season 
from  1861  up  to  and  including  the  season  of  1872.  He 
defeated  many  of  the  very  best  trotters  of  his  time. 
He  beat  American  Girl  (2.16  1-4)  once  to  wagon;  Lucy 
(2.18 1-4)  three  times  to  harness,  and  Lady  Thorn 
(2.18  1-4)  once  to  wagon  and  twice  to  harness.  His 
record,  2.22,  was  made  in  the  second  heat  of  a  four-heat 
race  that  he  won  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  October  13, 
1868,  and  it  was  then  the  world's  champion  record  for 


67 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

trotting  stallions.  He  started  in  sixty-nine  races  in 
all,  and  won  first  money  in  twenty-eight  of  them.  The 
total  amount  of  his  winnings  in  purses  was  $50,150. 
He  won  fifty-six  heats  in  2.30  or  better.  He  was  much 
faster  than  his  record  indicates.  It  is  stated  upon  ap- 
parently good  authority  that  in  his  six-year-old  form 
he  trotted  a  mile  in  2.19  1-4  and  repeated  in  2.17  1-4, 
also  that  he  trotted  a  half  to  wagon  in  1.04  1-2,  and  a 
quarter  in  29  seconds. 

George  Wilkes'  trotting  action,  especially  behind, 
was  unlike  that  of  any  other  trotter  of  his  day.  The 
late  Charles  J.  Foster,  who  was  an  experienced  horse- 
man, as  well  as  a  very  entertaining  writer,  stated  that 
"George  Wilkes'  hind  leg  when  straightened  out  in 
action,  as  he  went  at  his  best  speed,  reminded  him  of 
that  of  a  duck  swimming."  Another  horseman  said 
that  when  trotting  he  could  reach  his  hind  leg  further 
back  of  the  sulky,  and  hold  it  there  longer  than  any 
other  trotter  he  ever  saw.  It  is  evident  that  he  was  one 
of  the  most  honest  trotters  that  lived  in  his  day,  and 
at  times  suffered  from  cruel  abuse.  A  man  whom  we 
have  known  for  years,  and  whose  word  can  be  relied 
upon,  says  that  a  wire  was  braided  into  the  lash  of 
the  whip  with  which  George  Wilkes  was  driven  in  his 
races,  and  he  saw  the  whip  applied  so  severely  that  the 
blood  trickled  down  upon  his  legs  after  the  heat  was 
finished,  and  yet  the  horse  did  not  break  from  a  trot. 
He  did  not  allow  strangers  to  become  familiar  with 
him,  and  it  has  been  said  that  he  would  run  back  faster 
and  farther  to  kick  another  horse  than  any  other  stal- 
lion then  living.  His  son,  Kentucky  Wilkes  (2.  21 1-4), 
resembled  him  somewhat  at  times  in  this  respect. 


68 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

In  1873  the  late  W.  H.  Wilson  prevailed  upon  Messrs. 
Simmons  to  let  him  take  George  Wilkes  to  Kentucky 
and  stand  him  for  stock  purposes.  The  horsemen  there 
were  not  inclined  to  patronize  him  at  first  on  account 
of  his  lack  of  size.  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  hustler,  however, 
and  by  breeding  some  of  them  on  shares  got  a  fair 
number  of  mares.  The  Messrs.  Simmons  finally  moved 
to  Kentucky.  Mr.  W.  L.  Simmons,  who  had  secured 
Z.  E.  Simmons'  interest  in  George  Wilkes,  established 
a  breeding  farm  known  as  Ash  Grove,  near  Lexington, 
and  it  was  here  that  George  Wilkes  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life.  The  horse  died  from  pneumonia  at  Ash 
Grove,  May  28,  1882.  He  was  used  but  little  in  the 
stud  before  going  to  Kentucky,  and  probably  got  all 
told  not  more  than  four  hundred  and  fifty  foals.  W.  H. 
Marrett  (Vision)  informed  the  writer  that  Mr.  Sim- 
mons gave  the  number  of  his  foals  as  about  four 
hundred. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  of  1903  George  Wilkes 
was  credited  with  one  hundred  and  two  sons  that  had 
sired  1,813  trotters  and  eight  hundred  and  thirty-two 
pacers  with  standard  records;  also  with  one  hundred 
and  one  daughters  that  had  produced  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  standard  trotters  and  forty-seven  standard 
pacers.  His  sons  had  at  that  time  sired  and  his  daugh- 
ters produced  a  total  of  2,824  standard  performers. 
The  sons  and  daughters  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian 
sired  and  produced  1,824  standard  performers,  just 
1,000  less  than  those  of  George  Wilkes. 

It  appears  from  the  above  that  while  the  number  of 
George  Wilkes'  sons  and  daughters  that  took  standard 
records  are  not  one-half  the  number  of  those  got  by 


69 


TEE  AMERICA!:^  TROTTER. 

Electioneer,  yet  he  has  proved  far  superior  to  Elec- 
tioneer as  a  perpetuator  of  trotting  speed.  None  of 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  George  Wilkes  were  ever 
distinguished  as  holders  of  world's  champion  records, 
however.  The  fastest  of  his  get  was  Harry  Wilkes, 
trotting  record  2.13  1-2.  There  are  world's  champion 
pacers  among  his  progeny,  however.  Dan  Patch 
(1.56),  the  fastest  pacer  yet  produced,  is  inbred  to  him. 
Joe  Patchen  (2.01 1-4),  the  sire  of  Dan  Patchy  was  got 
by  Patchen  Wilkes  (2.29  1-2),  a  son  of  George  Wilkes. 
Wilkesberry  (2.30),  that  got  the  dam  of  Dan  Patch 
(1.56),  was  by  Young  Jim,  a  son  of  George  Wilkes. 
There  is  no  other  trotting  strain  from  which  so  good 
results  have  been  obtained  in  late  years  by  close  in- 
breeding as  that  of  George  Wilkes. 

Happy  Medium  (2.321-2).  Happy  Medium  ranks 
next  to  Electioneer  among  the  sons  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian  as  a  sire  of  2.30  trotters,  with  eighty-eight 
to  his  credit.  He  was  bred  by  R.  F.  Galloway,  Suf- 
frens,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1863.  His  dam  was  the 
famous  trotting  mare  Princess  (2.30),  that  was  at  one 
time  the  property  of  the  father  of  O.  K.  G.  Billings, 
who  now  owns  the  world's  champion  trotter,  Lou  Dil- 
lon (1.58  1-2) .  Princess  was  by  Andrus  Hambletonian, 
a  son  of  Judson's  Hambletonian,  and  he  by  Bishop's 
Hambletonian,  the  running  bred  son  of  imported  Mes- 
senger, that  got  the  famous  old-time  long  distance  trot- 
ter Whalebone.  He  also  got  the  dam  of  that  other 
wonderful  old-time  trotter.  Top  Gallant,  and  later  got 
the  second  dam  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  The  dam 
of  Andrus  Hambletonian  was  by  Well's  Magnum 
Bonum,  a  son   of  imported   Magnum   Bonum.    This 


70 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

WelPs  Magnum  Bonum  was  owned  in  Washington 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  stood  for  stock  purposes  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  also  did  service  at  several  towns 
in  Vermont.  The  Register  gives  the  dam  of  Andrus 
Hambletonian  as  untraced,  but  a  trustworthy  gentle- 
man, who  knew  the  mare  well,  stated  positively  that 
she  was  by  Old  Magnum  Bonum,  as  WelFs  Magnum 
Bonum  was  called  to  distinguisth  him  from  his  sons. 
Judson's  Hambletonian,  the  sire  of  Andrus  Hamble- 
tonian, was  also  from  a  daughter  of  Well's  Magnum 
Bonum,  making  Andrus  Hambletonian  inbred  to  this 
son  of  imported  Magnum  Bonum.  This  imported 
Magnum  Bonum  was  very  strongly  inbred  to  the  fa- 
mous Godolphin  Arabian,  through  some  of  the  best  sons 
of  the  latter.  He  was  got  by  the  renowned  Matchem, 
whose  sire  was  Cade,  by  Godolphin  Arabian,  and 
his  dam  was  by  Croft's  Partner,  the  best  grandson  of 
the  famous  Byerley  Turk.  Tartar,  a  son  of  Croft's 
Partner,  was  the  sire  of  Herod,  one  of  the  most  famous 
sires  of  winners  in  England  in  his  day.  The  dam  of 
imported  Magnum  Bonum  was  by  Regulus,  one  of  the 
very  best  sons  of  Godolphin  Arabian.  Regulus  was 
one  of  the  best  race  horses  of  his  day.  Pick's  Turf 
Register  says  that  "Regulus  at  six  years  old  won  eight 
Royal  Plates  and  another  Plate  the  value  of  which 
was  given  at  50  pounds  English  money.  He  was  never 
beaten  and  was  much  superior  to  any  other  horse  of 
his  time."  The  dam  of  Princess  was  the  Isaiah  Wilcox 
mare,  and  her  sire  was  Burdick's  Engineer,  a  son  of 
Engineer,  by  imported  Messenger.  Beyond  that  noth- 
ing is  known  of  Princess'  breeding.  She  was  inbred  to 
imported  Messenger,  and  was  also  inbred  to  imported 


71 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Magnum  Bonum.  The  record  of  Princess  (2.30)  gives 
but  a  faint  idea  of  her  speed  and  racing  qualities.  She 
was  among  the  fastest  trotters  of  her  day,  and  nearly 
the  equal  in  speed  of  the  renowned  old-time  world's 
champion  trotter  Flora  Temple  (2.19  3-4).  The  latter 
was  foaled  in  1845  and  Princess  in  1846. 

Princess  was  once  matched  to  trot  two  ten-mile  dash 
races  against  Glencoe  Chief.  The  first  was  to  wagon, 
for  136,500.  This  race  came  off  in  California,  March 
2,  1859,  and  was  won  by  Princess  in  twenty-nine  min- 
utes ten  and  three-quarters  seconds.  The  race  to  har- 
ness was  for  |5,000  and  took  place  the  day  following 
the  wagon  race,  March  3,  1859.  This  race  was  also 
won  by  Princess  in  twenty-nine  minutes,  sixteen  and 
one-quarter  seconds.  Princess  was  then  brought  East 
and  at  the  Eclipse,  Long  Island,  course,  June  23,  1859, 
she  beat  Flora  Temple  in  a  race  of  two  mile  heats,  best 
two  in  three,  time  5.02-5.05.  Princess  met  Flora  Tem- 
ple several  times  afterwards  during  that  season,  but 
did  not  beat  her  again.  It  was  she,  however,  that 
forced  Flora  Temple  to  the  world's  trotting  record, 
2.19  3-4,  in  the  third  heat  of  a  race  at  Kalamazoo, 
October  15,  1859. 

Happy  Medium  was  a  handsome  bay  horse  with  both 
hind  feet,  pasterns  and  ankles  white,  a  small  star  in 
his  forehead  and  a  snip  on  his  nose.  He  stood  15.3 
hands  in  height,  and  in  general  conformation  bore  quite 
a  close  resemblance  to  his  renowned  sire,  but  was  some 
what  better  finished  than  Hambletonian  at  some  points, 
especially  his  head  and  muzzle,  and  he  was  a  trifie 
more  rangy  than  his  sire.  He  was  a  natural  trotter 
and  good  gaited.     He  was  handled  some  for  speed 


72 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    EI8    SONS. 

when  young  and  was  raced  a  little.  He  won  a  four- 
year-old  stallion  race  at  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  September  11, 
1867,  beating  two  competitors  in  2.54,  3.00.  He  also 
beat  one  other  horse  in  a  race  as  a  five-year-old  at 
Goshen,  N.  Y.,  September  3,  1868,  and  lowered  his 
record  to  2.51.  On  September  15,  1869,  he  distanced 
Guy  Miller  and  Honesty  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  in  2.34  1-2, 
2.321-2.  It  is  claimed  that  Happy  Medium  was 
trained  but  eight  days  for  this  race.  This  w^as  his  last 
public  race.  His  breeder,  Mr.  Galloway,  stated  that  he 
drove  Happy  Medium  quarters  in  35  seconds  to  wagon 
carrying  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  In  1871  Mr. 
Galloway  sold  Happy  Medium  to  the  late  Robert  Steel 
of  Cedar  Park,  Philadelphia,  for  |25,000.  He  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  stud  there  until  the  fall  of  1879,  when 
Mr.  Steele  sold  the  horse  to  General  Withers,  then  pro- 
prietor of  the  Fairlawn  Farm,  Lexington,  Ky.  Happy 
Medium  did  stud  duty  at  Fairlawn  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  January  25,  1888. 

Happy  Medium  was  well  patronized,  and  left  an  ex- 
tensive and  valuable  progeny.  The  most  noted  per- 
formers among  his  get  were  Nancy  Hanks,  that  low- 
ered the  world's  champion  trotting  record  to  2.04,  at 
Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  September  28, 1892,  and  Maxie  Cobb, 
that  reduced  the  world's  champion  record  for  trotting 
stallions  to  2.13  1-4  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  September  30, 
1884.  Happy  Medium  is  now  credited  with  sixty-six 
sons  that  have  sired  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  trot- 
ters and  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pacers  with 
standard  records;  also  with  seventy-four  daughters 
that  have  produced  eighty-nine  trotters  and  twenty- 
seven  pacers  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time. 


16 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

His  son,  Pilot  Medium,  has  proved  even  more  success- 
ful than  Happy  Medium  himself  as  a  sire  of  standard 
performers.  Pilot  Medium  at  the  close  of  1903  was 
credited  with  ninety-nine  trotters  and  twenty-three 
pacers  that  had  made  standard  records,  a  total  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-two.  For  some  reason,  however, 
the  sons  of  Pilot  Medium  up  to  the  present  time  seem 
to  lack  perpetuating  or  breeding-on  capacity.  At  the 
close  of  1903  he  was  credited  with  twenty-two  sons 
that  were  the  sires  of  thirty-three  trotters  and  twenty- 
two  pacers  which  have  made  standard  records. 

Alexander's  Abdallah.  The  other  sons  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  that  sired  world's  champion  trotters, 
are  Alexander's  Abdallah,  Volunteer,  Dictator  and 
Harold.  Alexander's  Abdallah,  opportunities  consid- 
ered, was  the  most  remarkable  son  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian. He  was  bred  by  Lewis  J.  Sutton,  Warwick, 
N.  Y.,  was  one  of  the  three  foals  that  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian got  in  his  two-year-old  form,  and  was  foaled 
September  22,  1852.  His  dam  was  known  as  Katy 
Darling.  Major  Edsall,  who  bought  Alexander's  Ab- 
dallah when  seventeen  months  old,  made  the  following 
statement  concerning  this  mare,  and  it  was  published 
in  Wallace's  Monthly  for  May,  1877 : 

Katy  Darling  was  a  bay  mare  a  little  over  fifteen  and 
three-quarters  strong;  got  by  Bay  Roman,  a  horse  that  ran 
races  West  and  stood  in  Dutchess  County,  and  Katy  Darling 
went  from  there  to  New  York.  She  trotted  on  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.,  when  four  years  old,  in  2.40,  and  that  winter  was 
harnessed  double  with  Mendham  Maid,  but  got  her  foot  fast 
in  the  railroad  track  and  broke  her  ankle.  Lewis  Sutton  of 
Warwick  went  to  New  York,  brought  her  to  Newburg,  and 
from  there  to  Chester,  and  left  her.    In  July  or  August  she 


74 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HI8    SONS. 

was  stinted  to  Hambletonian.  The  summer  that  this  colt  by 
Hambletonian  was  fifteen  months  old,  Katy  Darling  was 
brought  to  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  entered  in  a  race  to  saddle,  mile 
and  repeat,  on  the  road,  against  Blue  Bug,  a  horse  that  could 
trot  in  2.50,  and  two  others;  she  was  then  lame,  but  beat  the 
field  a  long  distance  and  was  a  genuine  trotter. 

We  are  inclined  to  think  that  the  size  given  above, 
fifteen  and  three-quarters,  was  an  unintentional  error, 
and  that  the  height  of  Katy  Darling  did  not  much  ex- 
ceed 15.1  hands.  All  agree  that  she  was  a  natural 
trotter  of  more  than  ordinary  speed.  It  was  under- 
stood then  that  her  sire  was  Bay  Roman,  a  son  of 
imported  Roman,  dam  by  Young  Mambrino,  also  known 
as  Thompson's  Mambrino,  that  was  got  by  Mambrino, 
the  son  of  Messenger  that  got  Abdallah. 

The  dam  of  Thompson's  Mambrino  was  by  Duroc,  a 
son  of  imported  Diomed.  The  dam  of  Bay  Roman  is 
given  in  Helm's  Work  as  the  Pinckey  mare,  said  to  be 
by  Hickory,  whose  dam  was  also  by  Mambrino.  This 
pedigree  has  never  been  established,  but  there  is  noth- 
ing improbable  about  it.  Had  any  one  been  disposed 
to  manufacture  a  fictitious  pedigree  for  Katy  Darling  it 
is  unlikely  that  he  would  have  selected  such  as  the 
above. 

After  General  Withers  bought  Alexander's  Abdal- 
lah's  son,  Almont,  some  one  suggested  that  Katy 
Darling  was  by  a  son  of  Andrew  Jackson,  probably 
Long  Island  Black  Hawk.  General  Withers  and  Gen- 
eral Tilton  employed  a  man  at  considerable  expense  to 
investigate  the  matter  and  learn  whether  such  was 
the  case  or  not.  This  was  done,  and  the  man  finally 
submitted  what  purported  to  be  facts  tending  to  show 
that  Katy  Darling  was  a  daughter  of  some  son  of  Long 


75 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Island  Black  Hawk.  The  evidence  was  submitted  to 
General  Withers,  who  examined  it  carefully,  but  being 
an  honest  man,  as  well  as  a  lawyer  and  a  judge  of 
evidence,  he  rejected  it,  and  always  continued  to  give 
the  dam  of  Alexander's  Abdallah  in  his  catalogue  as 
said  to  be  Bay  Roman,  a  son  of  imported  Roman. 

Alexander's  Abdallah  was  a  born  trotter.  Mr.  Sut- 
ton, his  breeder,  is  authority  for  the  statement  that 
when  the  colt  was  one  year  old  no  man  about  his 
place  could  run  so  fast  as  the  colt,  led  to  bridle,  could 
trot.  When  about  seventeen  months  old  this  colt  was 
bought  in  partnership  by  Mr.  Hezekiah  Hoyt  and  Major 
J.  S.  Edsall,  at  a  price  somewhere  between  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  and  five  hundred  dollars.  Major 
Edsall  finally  became  his  sole  owner  and  he  was  then 
named  Hambletonian,  Jr.  He  was  also  known  as  Ed- 
sall's  Hambletonian.  In  the  winter  of  1859  Major 
Edsall  sold  the  horse  to  James  Miller  and  Joseph  Love 
of  Kentucky  for  about  three  thousand  dollars.  The 
horse  was  taken  to  Cynthiana,  Ky.,  about  the  first 
of  March,  1859,  being  then  seven  years  old.  He  made 
four  seasons  at  Cynthiana,  and  in  the  fall  of  1862  be- 
came the  property  of  R.  A.  Alexander,  the  founder  of 
famous  Woodburn  Farm,  near  Lexington,  Ky.  Mr. 
Alexander  gave  the  stallion  Forest  Temple  and  two 
thousand  dollars  cash  in  exchange  for  the  son  of 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  and  placed  him  at  the  head 
of  the  stud  in  the  trotting  department  at  Woodburn 
Farm.  After  becoming  the  property  of  Mr.  Alexander 
the  name  of  the  horse  was  changed  to  Alexander's  Ab- 
dallah. He  died  in  the  spring  of  1865.  The  circum- 
stances attending  his  death  are  minutely  recorded  in 


76 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

Helm's  American  Trotters  and  Roadsters  as  follows: 
On  the  second  day  of  February,  1865,  about  6  o'clock  p.  m., 
a  band  of  guerrillas  under  one  Marion  visited  Woodburn  and 
took  several  horses,  among  them  Bay  Chief,  a  son  of 
Mambrino  Chief,  and  Abdallah  (Alexander's).  They 
encamped  about  12  miles  from  Woodburn,  where  they  were 
attacked  by  a  Federal  force  early  the  next  morning  and 
routed,  the  horses  being  recaptured.  Bay  Chief  was  shot  in 
several  places  during  the  fight,  and  died  from  his  wounds  in 
about  ten  days.  Abdaliah  was  seized  by  a  Federal  soldier, 
who  refused  to  release  him.  The  horse  was  unshod  and  in 
no  condition  for  severe  usage;  nevertheless,  in  this  plight  he 
was  ridden  by  the  soldier  over  the  roughest  of  stony  and  hilly 
roads,  nearly  fifty  miles  that  day,  and,  becoming  exhausted, 
was  turned  loose  on  the  highway,  where  he  was  found  the 
next  day  in  a  most  deplorable  state.  He  was  taken  to 
Lawrenceburg,  but  could  go  no  further.  Here  he  was  seized 
with  pneumonia,  from  which  he  died  in  a  few  days. 

In  his  four-year-old  form  Alexander's  Abdallah  got 
Goldsmith  Maid  (2.14),  the  most  remarkable  trotter 
ever  produced.  This  mare  was  foaled  in  1857  and  was 
first  raced  in  1865,  under  the  name  of  Goldsmith  Mare. 
She  was  raced  every  year  after  that  up  to  and  in- 
cluding the  season  of  1877.  When  she  first  came  out 
the  world's  champion  trotting  record  was  2.17  1-4  and 
was  held  by  Dexter.  In  1871  Goldsmith  Maid  lowered 
it  to  2.17.  In  1872  she  lowered  it  to  2.16  3-4.  In  1874 
she  lowered  it  four  times,  first  to  2.16,  at  East  Saginaw, 
Mich.,  July  16;  then  to  2.151-2  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Au- 
gust 7 ;  to  2.14  3-4  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  August  12 ;  and 
to  2.14  at  Mystic  Park,  Boston,  September  2.  This 
stood  as  the  world's  champion  trotting  record  until 
Rarus  lowered  it  to  2.13  1-4  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  August 
3,  1878.  This  calls  to  mind  the  fact  that  in  the  Table 
of  Champion  Trotters  in  the  Year  Book  the  record  of 


77 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Rarus  has  been  given  as  2.13  3-4  ever  since  1893,  a 
clerical  error  that  should  be  corrected.  Goldsmith 
Maid  equalled  her  record  at  Belmont  Park,  Philadel- 
phia, June  23,  1876.  At  Chico,  Cal.,  May  19,  1877, 
she"  beat  Rarus  in  2.191-2,  2.141-2,  2.17,  a  truly  won- 
derful performance  for  a  mare  then  past  twenty  years 
old.  She  trotted  in  all  three  hundred  and  thirty-two 
heats  in  2.30  or  better,  not  including  those  in  which 
she  was  beaten  by  other  horses.  She  met  and  defeated 
all  the  best  trotters  of  her  day.  She  produced  her  first 
foal  when  twenty-two  years  old,  and  had  two  others 
afterwards.  Her  dam  was  by  old  Abdallah,  and  her 
second  dam  was  running  bred,  or  at  least  was  raced 
successfully  at  the  running  gait. 

During  the  season  of  1863  Alexander's  Abdallah 
got  two  sons  whose  progeny  will  keep  his  memory 
green  for  many  years  to  come.  They  were  Almont 
and  Belmont.  The  latter  got  the  unequalled  brood 
mare  sire  Nutwood  (2.18  3-4),  whose  daughters  have 
already  produced  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  trotters 
and  fifty-three  pacers,  a  total  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-two,  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time, 
and  the  list  will  continue  to  grow  for  more  than  ten 
years  yet.  Alexander's  Abdallah  got  five  trotters  with 
records  from  2.30  to  2.14.  He  is  credited  with  four- 
teen sons  that  sired  one  hundred  and  forty-two  trot- 
ters and  fourteen  pacers  that  took  standard  records, 
also  with  twenty-nine  daughters  that  produced  thirty- 
five  trotters  and  eight  pacers  that  made  standard  rec- 
ords. His  daughters  also  produced  sixty-five  stallions 
that  have  sired  standard  speed.    Three  of  his  four 


78 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

most  successful  sons,  as  sires  and  perpetuators  of  trot- 
ting speed,  were  from  daughters  of  Mambrino  Chief. 
These  were  Almont,  Belmont  and  Thorndale. 

The  Alexander's  Abdallah  branch  of  the  Hamble- 
tonian  family  is  a  valuable  factor  of  trotting  speed 
and  at  one  time,  when  Almont  was  in  his  prime,  it 
gave  promise  of  leading  all  the  others.  During  the 
past  few  years,  however,  it  has  fallen  behind  the 
Wilkes'  branch  of  the  family  and  bids  fair  to  drop  be- 
hind that  of  Electioneer.  It  is  being  perpetuated  now 
in  the  paternal  line,  chiefly  through  Nutwood 
(2.18  3-4),  whose  dam.  Miss  Russell,  was  by  Pilot,  Jr., 
and  whose  second  dam,  Sally  Russell,  was  a  running 
bred  daughter  of  the  noted  long  distance  race  winner 
Boston. 

Volunteer.  This  noted  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian  was  foaled  May  1,  1854,  hence  was  got  when 
his  sire  was  four  years  old.  The  dam  of  Volunteer 
was  Lady  Patriot.  Her  sire  was  young  Patriot,  and 
he  was  by  Patriot,  a  son  of  the  running  bred  Blucher. 
The  latter  was  by  Duroc,  a  son  of  imported  Diomed, 
and  his  dam.  Young  Damsel,  was  by  Bishop's  Ham- 
bletonian,  his  second  dam  being  the  famous  race  mare^ 
Miller's  Damsel,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  breed- 
ing of  Blucher  was  quite  similar  to  that  of  the  great 
four-mile  race  winner,  American  EcKpse.  Both  were 
by  Duroc;  the  dam  of  American  Eclipse  was  Miller's 
Damsel,  and  the  dam  of  Blucher  was  a  daughter  of 
Miller's  Damsel.  It  will  be  observed  that  Young 
Damsel,  the  dam  of  Blucher,  was  closely  inbred  to 
imported  Messenger.  Her  sire,  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian,  was  the  best  son  of  imported  Messenger,  and 


79 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Miller's  Damsel  was  by  far  his  best  daughter,  and  a 
more  successful  race  winner  than  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian.  The  second  dam  of  Volunteer  was  known  as 
the  Lewis  Hulse  mare.  Nothing  is  known  of  her 
breeding,  but  it  is  a  matter  of  history  that  her  owner 
issued  a  standing  challenge  to  any  horse  in  this  coun- 
try to  both  run  and  trot  against  her,  from  which  it 
is  evident  that  she  was  fast  at  both  gaits,  and  was 
from  running  bred  ancestors  on  one  side,  if  not  both 
sides.  When  Lady  Patriot  was  three  years  old  a  puff 
appeared  on  the  side  of  one  hock,  which  developed 
into  a  running  sore.  She  was  mated  that  season  with 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  the  day  that  she  was  four 
years  old  she  gave  birth  to  Volunteer.  She  produced 
in  all  fifteen  foals,  six  of  which,  four  colts  and  two 
fillies,  were  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  One  of  the 
fillies  died  young.  One  of  the  colts.  Sentinel 
(2.29  3-4),  died  when  ten  years  old,  and  another, 
Green's  Hambletonian,  was  burned  to  death  when 
fourteen  years  old. 

Volunteer  was  bred  by  Mr.  Joseph  Hetzel  of  Florida, 
Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  and  was  foaled  his  property. 
He  was  a  beautiful  bay  in  color,  with  black  points,  and 
some  white  around  his  left  hind  coronet.  He  stood 
15.3  hands  at  the  withers  and  one  inch  higher  over  the 
hips.  He  was  a  handsome,  smoothly  turned  horse, 
was  more  blood-like  in  appearance  and  showed  more 
quality  than  any  other  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 
He  resembled  his  sire  in  muscular  development  of 
quarters,  but  his  head,  ear  and  neck  were  much  finer 
than  those  points  in  his  sire.  Volunteer  had  a  some- 
what peculiar  conformation  of  hips,  croup  and  setting 

80 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

of  the  tail,  which  he  transmitted  to  many  of  his  get. 
He  was  a  horse  of  substance,  as  well  as  finish.  His 
muscle  was  of  the  hard,  fine-grained  type,  and  his  bone 
of  dense,  ivory-like  texture.  He  was  a  sound  horse, 
with  remarkably  smooth  limbs,  clean  joints  and  good 
feet.  He  w^as  a  natural,  good-gaited  trotter,  but  had 
less  knee  action  than  many  of  the  other  sons  of  his 
sire.  He  also  had  a  temper  that  would  not  permit 
him  to  endure  abuse,  and  that  is  a  marked  characteris- 
tic of  some  of  his  descendants.  He  was  as  full  of 
nervous  energy  as  an  egg  is  of  meat,  and  was  especially 
attractive  in  harness.  In  his  four-year-old  form  Vol- 
unteer won  first  premium  in  a  stallion  class  at  the 
Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  fall  fair.  A  few  months  later 
he  was  bought  by  Mr.  R.  C.  Underbill  of  Brooklyn,  N. 
Y.,  who  had  him  handled  some  for  speed.  It  has  been 
stated  upon  good  authority  that  the  horse  trotted  a 
trial  mile  to  wagon  in  2.33,  over  Union  Course,  L.  I., 
and  repeated  in  2.31 1-4.  Chester's  "Complete  Trotting 
and  Pacing  Record''  credits  Volunteer  with  a  record 
of  2.37  to  wagon,  made  at  Hartford,  Ct.,  August  21, 
1867.  In  1862  the  horse  became  the  partnership  prop- 
erty of  Edwin  Thorne,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Alden  Goldsmith. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Goldsmith  became  his  sole  owner, 
after  which  he  was  use(i£xclusively  for  stock  purposes. 
He  died  the  property  of  \Mr.  Goldsmith,  December  12, 
1888.  Volunteer  got  thirty-three  trotters  and  one 
pacer  that  made  standard  records.  He  is  credited 
with  forty-one  sons  that  have  sired  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  trotters,  and  twenty-eight  pacers,  that  have 
made  records  in  standard  time,  and  fifty-five  of  his 


81 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

daughters  have  produced  sixty-two  standard  trotters 
and  fifteen  standard  pacers. 

The  get  of  Volunteer  did  not  mature  early,  but  they 
raced  better  than  the  get  of  any  other  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  They  were  more  noted  for  great  cour- 
age and  endurance  than  extreme  speed.  Yet  there 
were  some  world's  record  breakers  among  them.  His 
son,  St.  Julien,  lowered  the  world's  champion  record 
to  2.12  3-4,  at  Oakland,  Cal.,  October  25,  1879,  and  the 
following  year  reduced  it  to  2.11 1-4.  His  daughter, 
Huntress,  driven  by  the  veteran  trainer,  John  Trout, 
lowered  the  world's  three-mile  champion  trotting  rec- 
ord to  7.21 1-4  in  1872.  Volunteer  produced  the  best 
results  from  mares  of  Clay  and  Seeley's  American  Star 
blood.  The  dam  of  St.  Julien  (2.111-4).  was  by 
Say  re's  Harry  Clay  (2.29),  and  that  of  Huntress,  by 
Seeley's  American  Star.  The  most  successful  son  of 
Volunteer,  as  a  sire  and  perpetuator  of  speed,  was 
Louis  Napoleon,  whose  dam  was  Hattie  Wood,  by 
Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29),  and  whose  second  dam  was 
Grandmother,  a  running  bred  daughter  of  Terror,  by 
American  Eclipse.  There  is  no  trotting  family  su- 
perior to  that  of  Volunteer  for  transmitting  a  high 
degree  of  courage  and  great  endurance. 

Harold.  This  distinguished  son  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian was  bred  by  Charles  S.  Dole,  Crystal  Lake, 
111.,  and  foaled  in  1864.  His  dam  was  Enchantress,  a 
bay  daughter  of  Old  Abdallah.  The  second  dam  of 
Harold  was  a  bob-tailed,  chestnut  mare,  bought  with 
some  cows,  by  a  Mr.  William  Thorne,  in  Central  Valley, 
N.  Y.     It  was  claimed  at  one  time  that  this  chestnut 


82 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

mare  was  by  the  Norfolk  trotter  imported  Bell- 
founder,  but  careful  investigation  failed  to  substan- 
tiate the  claim.  Enchantress  was  mated  with  Al- 
hambra,  a  son  of  Mambrino  Chief,  and  the  produce 
was  Black  Maria  that  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.30  1-2, 
in  a  race  which  she  won,  at  Portsmouth,  O.,  September 
26j  1874.  Enchantress  also  produced  Lakeland  Abdal- 
lah,  a  full  brother  of  Harold.  When  Harold  was  in 
his  two-year-old  form,  his  breeder,  Mr.  Dole,  exchanged 
him  with  R.  A.  Alexander,  Esq.,  proprietor  of  Wood- 
burn  Farm,  for  horse  stock,  and  the  colt  was  taken 
to  Lexington,  Ky.  He  was  then  so  small  and  unat- 
tractive that  he  was  not  considered  of  much  value  by 
the  Woodburn  people  and  other  Kentucky  horsemen. 

Harold  was  a  beautiful  rich  bay  in  color,  with  jet 
black  points.  He  was  compactly  built,  but  stood  only 
fifteen  hands  high  at  maturity.  It  has  been  stated 
upon  good  authority  that  he  was  somewhat  tucked  up 
in  the  flanks,  or  what  old  horsemen  called  "fiddle 
flanked.''  He  had  an  intelligent  countenance,  strong- 
ly muscled  quarters  of  the  Bellfounder  type,  wide  and 
strong  gaskins,  for  a  horse  of  his  size,  and  the  best  of 
feet  and  legs.  A  well-informed  horseman  who  visited 
Woodburn  Farm  to  learn  the  facts  wrote  of  him  as 
follows : 

Harold  was  thought  so  little  of  at  Woodburn  that  he  was 
not  broken  to  harness  till  he  was  five  years  old.  He  was  a 
pure  gaited  trotter,  and  with  limited  handling  could  show 
considerable  speed  for  that  early  day.  During  the  limited 
handling  that  Harold  received  he  trotted  short  distances  at 
better  than  a  2.30  gait,  and  as  soon  as  his  training  had  been 
sufficiently  advanced  he  was  given  an  easy  mile  and  repeat. 

It  appears  from  the  carelully  kept  books  at  Woodburn  that 


83 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

he  trotted  the  first  mile  in  2.42,  and  in  the  repeat  made  the 
first  quarter  in  39  1-2  seconds,  the  half  in  1.20  1-2  and  the 
three-quarters  in  1.59  1-2,  when  he  struck  his  quarter  and  tore 
it  open  so  that  it  made  an  ugly  permanent  scar;  still,  without 
flinching,  he  came  on  and  finished  the  mile  in  2.40  1-2,  but 
was  never  harnessed  arterwards, 

Harold  was  six  years  old  when  first  used  for  stock  pur- 
poses, and  but  five  mares  were  mated  with  him  that  season. 
Three  of  the  foals  which  resulted  from  that  season's  service 
were  Hermes,  that  took  a  trotting  record  of  2.27  12;  Childe 
Harold,  that  was  taken  to  England,  where  he  trotted  fast  and 
became  quite  popular  as  a  stallion;  and  Bicara,  now  in  the 
brood  mare  list  with  six  trotters  to  her  credit,  one  of  which 
was  the  successful  sire  Pancoast  (2.21  3-4). 

Up  to  the  time  that  Harold  was  eleven  years  old  the  total 
number  of  foals  that  he  had  got  was  nineteen,  and  very  few 
mares  had  been  mated  with  him,  except  such  as  it  was  very 
difficult  to  get  with  foal,  or  were  otherwise  considered 
undesirable  for  breeding  to  stallions  that  were  then  thought 
to  be  his  superiors. 

It  is  now  a  matter  of  history  that  the  breeding  of  several 
thoroughbred  mares  to  Pilot,  Jr.,  was  an  experiment,  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  brood  mares,  and,  famous  as  those  mares 
have  since  become,  the  first  of  their  offspring,  when  young, 
were  not  considered  at  all  superior,  which  was  the  real  reason 
that  Miss  Russell,  Midnight  and  several  others  were  bred  in 
1873  to  Harold.  From  these  services  came  the  old-time 
champion  trotter,  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4),  Noontide  (2.20  1-2), 
which  many  have  claimed  had  as  much  natural  speed  as  Maud 
S.,  and  several  others  that  helped  to  make  the  Pilot,  Jr., 
mares  famous. 

Harold  died  at  Woodbnrn  Farm  October  6,  1893. 
Although  he  lived  to  be  upwards  of  twenty-nine  years 
old,  he  did  not  leave  a  numerous  progeny,  but  after  his 
noted  daughter,  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4),  became  the  world's 
champion  trotter,  he  was  more  liberally  patronized  than 
before  that  time.    He  is  credited  with  forty  trotters 


84 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

and  five  pacers  that  made  standard  records;  for- 
ty-six of  his  sons  have  sired  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
nine  trotters  and  eighty-six  pacers  that  have  made  rec- 
ords standard  time,  and  fifty-seven  of  his  daughters 
are  credited  with  ninety-five  trotters  and  thirteen 
pacers  that  have  made  standard  records. 

The  most  noted  of  Harold's  descendants  have  been 
from  mares  whose  ancestors  on  the  dam's  side  were 
mostly  from  running-bred  stock.  The  fastest  of  his 
get  was  the  famous  world's  champion  Maud  S. 
(2.08  3-4).  Her  dam  was  by  Pilot,  Jr.,  and  from  Sally 
Russell,  a  running  bred  daughter  of  the  noted  race 
horse  Boston,  winner  of  forty  races,  thirty  of  which 
were  of  four-mile  heats.  The  most  successful  son  of 
Harold  as  a  sire  is  Lord  Russell,  and  he  was  from 
the  dam  of  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4).  Lord  Russell  is  the 
sire  of  Kremlin,  that  lowered  the  world's  champion 
five-year-old  trotting  record  to  2.07  3-4  November  5, 
1892.  This  was  then  the  world's  champion  record 
for  trotting  stallions.  The  most  noted  daughter  of 
Harold  as  a  producer  of  extreme  speed  was  Beulah, 
the  dam  of  Beuzetta  (2.06  3-4),  Early  Bird  (2.10), 
etc.  The  dam  of  Beulah  was  Sally  B.,  and  her  sire 
was  Lever,  a  running  bred  son  of  Lexington,  by  Bos- 
ton. Attorney,  a  son  of  Harold,  got  the  dam  of  the 
one-time  world's  champion  trotter,  Alix  (2.03  3-4.) 
The  dam  of  Attorney  was  by  Alexander's  Abdallah, 
but  his  second  dam  was  a  running-bred  daughter  of 
Robert  Bruce,  a  son  of  Clinton  by  Sir  Charles  by 
Sir  Archy. 

Dictator.     This  valuable  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonion    was    bred    by    Jonathan    Hawkins,    Walden, 

85 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1863.  His  dam  was 
Clara,  a  small  black  mare,  foaled  in  1848,  and  got  by 
Seely^s  American  Star,  making  Dictator  a  full  brother 
of  the  famous  Dexter,  the  trotting  wonder  of  his  day, 
that  lowered  the  world's  champion  trotting  record  to 
2.17  1-4,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  August  14,  1867.  In  reply 
to  a  request  by  the  writer  for  a  description  of  Clara, 
Mr.  Jonathan  Hawkins,  under  date  of  January  8, 1894, 
wrote  as  follows : 

Clara  was  about  fifteen  and  one-quarter  hands  high,  and 
was  a  natural  trotter.  She  was  never  trained,  but  in  the  fall 
of  1861,  when  she  was  carrying  Lady  Dexter,  my  brother  took 
her  out  of  pasture  and  drove  her  to  wagon  in  2.58.  She  could 
show  a  2.40  gait  hitched  light.  She  was  a  mare  of  fine  nerve 
and  good  temper,  a  free,  pleasant  driver,  and  ready  for  a 
brush  on  the  road  at  any  time. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  months,  in  trying  to  jump  a  fence, 
she  caught  her  front  foot,  which  threw  her,  and  caused  her 
to  turn  a  complete  somersault.  This  hipped  her  and  left  her 
crooked.  One  hip  was  too  high  and  the  other  too  low,  yet 
although  she  went  a  trifle  sidewise,  it  affected  her  gait  but 
very  little.  I  did  not  breed  Clara  in  the  spring  of  1858,  after 
Dexter  was  foaled,  thinking  I  would  need  her  to  drive.  She 
sprained  one  of  her  hind  legs  during  the  spring  of  1859,  which 
resulted  in  a  bone  spavin.  Had  I  left  her  at  breeding,  this 
of  course  would  never  have  happened. 

We  are  inclined  to  think  that  Mr.  Hawkins  intend- 
ed to  represent  the  height  of  Clara  as  15  hands  and 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  instead  of  15.1  hands,  as  many 
might  infer  that  he  meant  by  15  1-4  hands.  Some  who 
knew  her  estimated  her  height  at  only  about  14.2 
or  at  most  14.3  hands  high  at  the  withers,  when  in 
her  prime,  but  she  may  have  been  upwards  of  fifteen 
hands  high  behind.     It  is  evident  from  Mr.  Hawkins' 

86 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

letter  that  Clara  was  a  good  headed  trotter,  with  con- 
siderable natural  speed.  Many  mares  with  fast  rec- 
ords could  not  be  taken  right  from  pasture  and  driven 
a  mile  in  2.50  to  as  heavy  a  wagon  as  the  lightest 
of  those  in  use  in  1858.  The  dam  of  Clara  was  called 
the  McKinstry  mare,  but  her  breeding  has  never  been 
given.  Mated  with  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  this  Mc- 
Kinstry mare  produced  Shark,  that  took  a  record  of 
2.30  1-2  to  harness  and  2.27  3-4  to  saddle.  Shark  also 
took  a  record  of  2.36  to  wagon,  a  two-mile  record  of 
5.00  1-2  to  saddle  and  a  three-mile  record  of  7.47  3-4, 
all  in  races  that  he  won,  from  which  it  is  evident  that 
the  McKinstry  mare  was  well  bred.  She  was  a  brown 
in  color  and  all  four  of  her  feet  were  white,  a  badge 
that  she  transmitted  through  Clara  to  Dexter 
(2.171-4). 

Dictator  was  a  well-proportioned,  trim-built,  hand- 
some, upheaded  stallion,  with  a  neat  head,  clean  throt- 
tle, good  back  and  loin,  strong,  smooth  coupling,  a 
handsomely  turned  croup,  well  muscled  quarters,  and 
wide  gaskins,  but  was  a  lighter  boned  horse  than  most 
of  the  other  sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  an  Ameri- 
can Star  characteristic  that  he  inherited  from  his  dam 
and  transmitted  to  some  of  his  offspring.  He  was  a 
seal  brown  in  color  and  his  right  hind  foot  pastern 
and  ankle  were  white.  He  was  strong  fifteen,  but 
scant  15.1  hands  high  at  the  withers.  When  he  was 
about  one  year  old,  Dictator  was  bought  by  Mr.  Har- 
rison Durkee,  a  wealthy  gentleman  who  owned  a  farm 
on  Long  Island,  a  few  miles  from  New  York  city.  Mr. 
Durkee  had  Dictator  trained  some  for  speed.  H.  G. 
Woodnut,  who  probably  handled  and  drove  the  horse 


87 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

more  than  any  other  man,  has  stated  that  he  was  a 
perfectly  gaited  trotter  and  fast,  but  he  was  never 
developed  and  conditioned  to  show  miles  at  speed. 
Although  he  stood  for  stock  purposes  at  the  farm  of 
his  owner,  his  lack  of  size  and  bone,  and  the  high 
service  fee  for  which  he  stood  combined  to  prevent  him 
from  receiving  much  outside  patronage  during  his 
early  years. 

In  1876  Dictator  was  sent  to  Kentucky  and  stood 
there  two  seasons  at  a  fee  of  |200.  This  was  double 
the  fee  of  George  Wilkes,  Almont  and  Belmont,  the 
most  popular  stallions  then  standing  in  Kentucky, 
consequently  but  few  mares  were  mated  with  him. 
Among  those  that  produced  foals  by  him  there  were 
Betsey  Trotwood  by  Clark  Chief,  a  son  of  Mambrino 
Chief;  dam  by  Ericsson  (2.301-2),  by  Mambrino 
Chief;  second  dam  a  running  bred  daughter  of  Sir 
William  by  Sir  Archy;  Dolly,  by  Mambrino  Chief; 
dam  Fanny,  by  Ben  Franklin  (he  by  Hazrack,  from 
a  daughter  of  Johnson's  Copperbottom,  next  dam  by 
Saxe  Weimer,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Sir  Archy)  ; 
second  dam  Nance  by  Saxe  Weimer;  Midnight,  by 
Pilot,  Jr.,  dam  Twilight,  a  runing  bred  daughter  of 
Lexington.  He  also  received  a  few  other  well  bred 
ones.  From  Midnight  Dictator  got  Jay-Eye-See,  that 
lowered  the  world's  champion  trotting  record  to  2.10 
at  Narragansett  Park,  Providence,  R.  I.,  August  1, 
1884,  and  made  a  record  of  2.06  1-4  pacing  at  Inde- 
pendence, Iowa,  August  26,  1892.  Betsey  Trotwood's 
foal  by  Dictator  was  Phallas,  that  reduced  the  world's 
champion  stallion  trotting  record  to  2.13  3-4  at  Chica- 
go, 111.,  July  14,  1884,  and  the  foal  that  Dolly  produced 


88 


1 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

by  Dictator  was  Director,  that  in  1883  beat  all  the 
best  horses  in  the  Grand  Circuit,  won  two  purses  of 
#5,000  each,  also  the  |10,000  Charter  Oak  event,  in 
which  he  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.17,  and  was  the 
largest  money-winning  light  harness  horse  of  the  sea- 
son of  1883.  Jay-Eye-See  trotted,  that  season,  to  a 
record  of  2.10  3-4,  and  Phallas  to  2.15  1-2.  The  three 
trotters  gave  Dictator  such  a  reputation  as  a  sire  that 
he  was  bought  early  in  1884  for  |20,000  by  several 
gentlemen,  among  whom  were  H.  C.  McDowell,  Esq., 
and  Colonel  Richard  West  of  Kentucky.  Dictator 
was  returned  to  Kentucky  again  and  received  sixty 
patrons  during  the  season  of  1884.  The  year  follow- 
ing Mr.  McDowell  became  sole  owner  of  the  horse  on  a 
value  basis  of  |25,000.  Dictator  died  at  Mr.  McDow- 
ell's place  May  25,  1893. 

During  the  last  years  of  his  life  Dictator's  service 
fee  was  |500.  He  got  in  all  forty-eight  trotters  and 
eleven  pacers  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time, 
including  Jay-Eye-See,  that  appears  in  his  list  of 
pacers  as  well  as  trotters.  He  is  also  credited  with 
fifty-seven  sons  which  sired  one  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  trotters  and  one  hundred  and  eight  pacers  that 
have  taken  standard  records;  also  with  seventy -three 
daughters  that  have  produced  eighty-three  trotters 
and  twenty-six  pacers  which  have  made  records  in 
standard  time.  It  is  estimated  that  he  got  in  all  only 
about  four  hundred  foals. 

Director  (2.17)  seems  to  have  possessed  stronger 
speed  perpetuating  ability  than  any  of  the  other  sons 
of  Dictator.  Direct  (2.051-2),  by  Director;  dam  by 
Echo,    a    son    of    Rysdyk's    Hambletonian ;    second 


89 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

dam  by  Jack  Hawkins,  a  running  bred  son  of 
Boston,  is  proving  the  most  successful  grandson  of 
Dictator  as  a  sire  of  uniform  and  extreme 
speed.  At  the  close  of  the  season  of  1903  Direct  was 
credited  with  twenty-six  trotters  and  twenty-eight 
pacers  that  had  made  standard  records.  Among  the 
latter  is  Directly  (2.031-4),  that  holds  the  world's 
champion  record  for  two-year-old  pacers,  2.07  3-4. 
Directum  by  Director  reduced  the  world's  champion 
stallion  record  to  2.05 1-4  when  but  four  years  old. 
This  still  stands  as  the  world's  champion  record  for 
four-year-old  trotters.  Directum's  dam  was  by  Ven- 
ture (2.27  3-4),  a  running  bred  son  of  Williamson's 
Belmont.  Directum  (2.05 1-4)  is  a  more  successful 
sire  of  extreme  and  uniform  speed  than  any  other  son 
of  Director  (2.17),  excepting  Direct  (2.05). 

Aberdeen.  This  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was 
bred  by  Captain  Isaiah  Rynders  of  Passaic,  N.  J.,  and 
foaled  in  1866.  His  dam  was  the  famous  trotter, 
Widow  Machree  (2.29).  She  was  got  by  the  noted 
brood  mare  sire,  Seely's  American  Star,  and  was, 
by  the  records,  the  fastest  of  his  get.  Horsemen  who 
saw  her  race  pronounced  Widow  Machree  the  gamest 
of  all  the  old-time  trotters.  An  incident  witnessed  by 
the  king  of  trainers  in  his  day,  Hiram  Woodruff,  and 
related  by  him  in  his  excellent  work,  "The  Trotting 
Horse  of  America,"  well  illustrates  the  racing  quali- 
ties of  this  wonderful  mare.  Widow  Machree,  with 
her  pole  mate,  had  been  brought  from  New  York  to 
Boston  by  steamer  in  a  severe  storm.  The  horses 
got  wet  and  chilled.     The  team  trotted  a  hard  race 

90 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

to  pole  the  day  that  they  were  taken  from  the  steam- 
er.   Mr.  Woodruff  said  of  Widow  Machree  as  follows : 

When  we  took  the  team  to  their  stable  that  night  after 
their  hard  race  to  pole,  I  thought  neither  of  them  would  be 
able  to  trot  again  that  year.  In  the  morning  following  I 
found  the  Widow  lying  down  and  eating  hay.  She  was  so 
stiff  that  she  could  not  get  up  without  our  help.  We  thought 
she  had  trotted  her  last  race,  and  her  owner,  Captain  Rynders, 
said  he  would  sell  her  for  $500;  but  when  she  wa-5  on  her  feet 
she  went  at  her  oats  and  cleaned  her  manger,  while  we 
rubbed  her  forelegs  with  warm  lotions.  After  this  she  was 
walked  for  an  hour. 

The  proprietor  of  the  course  said  that  the  people  would  be 
greatly  disappointed  if  she  did  not  start  in  the  race  that 
afternoon,  and  requested  that  she  might  be  led  by  the  stand 
in  order  that  her  unfitness  to  start  might  be  seen.  When  the 
time  for  the  race  came,  I  took  her  to  the  track  and  drove 
her  past  the  stand  in  a  sulky.  She  could  hardly  put  one  foot 
before  the  other.  The  other  horses,  Draco,  Somerville,  Lady 
Spurr  and  Ephraim  Smooth,  soon  appeared.  I  had  jogged 
the  mare  round,  and  was  about  to  take  her  off  when  I  noticed 
that  she  pricked  up  her  ears  at  sight  of  the  other  horses 
and  acted  as  though  she  would  warm  up  and  get  limber. 

I  then  told  the  Captain  that  I  thought  she  might  do  better 
than  we  expected,  if  started.  He  said  I  was  crazy,  but  finally 
told  me  to  do  as  I  pleased,  adding  that  he  knew  she  would  be 
distanced  in  the  first  heat.  For  all  that  I  resolved  to  start 
her,  and,  as  the  day  was  cold  and  windy,  jogged  her  round 
again.  The  first  heat  was  won  by  Draco  in  2.28  1-2,  but  I 
was  second,  although  I  had  been  run  into  by  Ephraim  Smooth, 
whose  sulky  wheel  took  the  hair  off  one  of  the  mare's  legs. 
The  second  heat  was  won  by  Draco  in  2.41  1-2,  and  I  was 
second  again,  with  Lady  Spurr  and  Ephraim  Smooth  both 
distanced.  The  latter  ran  into  Lady  Spurr,  upset  her  sulky 
and  herself,  and  she  fell  with  her  neck  over  Dan  Mace's  body. 
Ephraim  spilled  his  own  driver  and  ran  off  with  his  sulky 
upside  down. 


91 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

When  Mace's  sulky  was  upset  I  was  close  behind  him  and 
lost  nearly  a  hundred  yards.  I  had  to  call  upon  the  Widow 
to  get  inside  the  distance,  and  the  way  she  answered  let  me 
know  that  her  dead  game  quality  had  triumphed  over  her 
infirmity,  and  that  she  was  all  the  time  "a  coming."  I  sent 
her  along  and  got  second  place.  Between  the  heats  she  was 
blanketed  close  and  kept  moving  except  while  her  legs  were 
being  rubbed  with  lotion.  In  the  third  heat  we  got  off  well, 
aud  Draco  and  the  Widow  went  neck-and-neck  to  the  quarter. 
The  mare  then  began  to  show  in  front;  but  Holcomb  let  the 
stallion  break  and  ease  himself  by  a  few  jumps;  and  this 
expedient  being  several  times  repeated,  Draco  was  ahead  in 
turning  into  the  stretch.  But  the  steady  stroke  of  the  mare 
overhauled  him  at  the  distance,  and  in  spite  of  another  break 
and  run  she  beat  him  out  by  a  neck  in  2.39  1-2.  Draco  was 
second  and  Somerville  third. 

In  the  fourth  heat  I  had  the  pole,  which  was  a  great 
advantage,  as  it  was  a  half-mile  track.  The  mare  took  the 
lead  and  kept  it,  although  Draco  made  a  good  game  struggle. 
The  time  was  2.34  1-2.  In  the  fifth  heat  Draco  made  a 
desperate  race  of  it  for  half  a  mile,  hanging  on  the  mare's 
wheel  all  the  way.  It  was  at  the  rate  of  about  2.30,  but  after 
that  it  fell  off,  and  I  took  the  Widow  in  hand.  She  could 
have  trotted  out  in  2.30  if  there  had  been  anything  to  force 
her.  As  it  was  the  time  was  2.39.  In  these  five  heats  Widow 
Machree  never  broke.  Considering  her  arduous  race  the  day 
before,  and  the  state  ot  her  legs  when  we  brought  her  to  the 
course,  it  was  one  of  t^e  most  splendid  exhibitions  of  un- 
flinching game  and  strong  bottom  that  was  ever  seen.  The 
Widow's  pluck  was  always  so  good  that  she  was  always 
counted  a  real  do-or-die  trotter. 

Unflinching  courage  and  great  endurance  are 
marked  characteristics  of  the  descendants  of  Seely's 
American  Star,  sire  of  Widow  Machree.  The  dam  of 
Widow  Machree  was  by  Pintlar's  Young  Bolivar,  by 
Davidson's  Bolivar,  a  running  bred  son  of  Thornton's 
Rattler,   by    imported    Diomed's    renowned    son,     Sir 

92 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

Archy.  Aberdeen  was  bay  in  color,  with  both  hind 
feet  pasterns  and  ankles  white.  He  was  a  deep-bar- 
relled, blocky  made  horse,  somewhat  gross  in  appear- 
ance, with  a  small,  thin  tail,  stood  15.3  hands,  and 
in  stud  condition  weighed  1,200  pounds.  He  was  a 
good  gaited,  reliable,  fast,  natural  trotter.  He  was 
trained  in  his  three-year-old  form,  and  was  started  in 
the  ''Spirit  of  the  Time  Stake"  for  three-year-olds  in 
1869.  He  distanced  his  two  competitors  in  the  first 
heat  in  2.46.  He  was  never  again  started  in  a  race 
He  showed  so  much  speed  in  his  four-year-old  form 
that  he  was  barred  from  the  four-year-old  stakes.  It 
is  stated  upon  good  authority  that  he  trotted  a  mile 
in  2.24  1-2  and  a  half  in  1.09  1-2  on  a  slow  half-mile 
track  in  New  Jersey  as  a  four-year-old. 

Aberdeen  was  kept  in  New  Jersey  until  March,  1881, 
when  he  was  bought  by  General  W.  T.  Withers  and 
taken  to  his  Fairlawn  Farm,  Lexington,  Ky.  When 
General  Withers  died  in  June,  1889,  Aberdeen  was 
at  the  head  of  the  Fairlawn  establishment.  At  the 
dispersal  sale  of  the  Fairlawn  stock,  in  October,  1889, 
Aberdeen,  then  twenty-three  years  old,  was  bought 
for  13,000  by  Mr.  James  C.  Clay  of  Paris,  Ky.,  and 
remained  his  property  until  the  death  of  the  horse, 
which  occurred  September  30,  1892.  When  taken  to 
Fairlawn,  Aberdeen  had  the  reputation  of  being  so 
bad  tempered  as  to  endanger  the  lives  of  his  grooms. 
Kind  but  firm  treatment  overcame  that  infirmity, 
however,  to  a  great  extent. 

Aberdeen  got  forty-nine  trotters  and  three  pacers  that 
made  standard  records.  He  is  now  credited  with  thir- 
ty-three sons  that  have  sired  one  hundred  and  three 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

trotters  and  thirty-three  pacers  with  standard  records. 
The  number  of  his  producing  daughters,  to  the  close  ot 
1903,  was  forty.  They  had  then  produced  forty-two 
trotters  and  nine  pacers  that  had  made  records  in 
standard  time.  The  fastest  of  his  get  was  Kentucky 
Union  (2.071-4),  whose  dam  inherited  a  large  in- 
fusion of  running  blood.  The  fastest  trotter  got  by 
a  son  of  Aberdeen  is  Anzella  (2.06  3-4)  by  Antrim, 
and  the  fastest  trotter  produced  by  a  daughter  is 
Onward  Silver  (2.051-4),  whose  dam,  Sylvan  Maid,  is 
a  full  sister  of  Kentucky  Union  (2.07  1-4). 

The  Aberdeen  strain  seems  to  nick  remarkably  well 
with  that  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.  The  most  suc- 
cessful son  of  Aberdeen  as  a  sire  of  uniform,  standard 
speed,  is  Elial  G.,  whose  dam  is  by  Humbird.  The 
latter  was  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  a  son  of  Vermont 
Black  Hawk.  Elial  G.  is  credited  with  a  greater 
number  of  standard  performers  than  any  other  three 
sons  of  Aberdeen.  One  of  the  best  campaigners  ever 
raised  in  New  England,  Alcidalia  (2.10  1-4),  was  by  Sir 
Walter,  Jr.,  (2.181-4),  a  grandson  of  Aberdeen,  and 
Alcidalia's  dam,  Comee's  Sister,  was  inbred  to  the  Ver- 
mont Black  Hawk  strain.  Wiggins  (2),  (2.191-2),  by 
Aberdeen,  has  gained  considerable  prominence  recently 
as  a  sire  of  early  and  extreme  speed.  His  daughter, 
Katherine  A.,  won  the  |6,000  stake  for  two-year-old 
trotters  at  the  Lexington,  Ky.,  Breeders'  meeting,  Oc- 
tober 9,  1902,  in  2.14,  2.15  1-2,  and  shares  with  Janie  T. 
the  honor  of  holding  the  fastest  record  ever  made  in  a 
race  by  a  two-year-old  trotter. 

Egbert.     This  is  another  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble 
tonian  that  has  gained  considerable  prominence  as  a 


94 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

sire  of  speed.  He  was  bred  by  J.  H.  Walker,  Worces- 
ter, Mass.,  and  foaled  July  9,  1875.  He  was  closely 
inbred  to  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  and  still  more 
strongly  inbred  to  old  Abdallah,  to  which  he  traces 
five  times,  three  times  through  Rysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian, and  twice  through  Roe's  Abdallah  Chief.  His 
dam  was  the  great  brood  mare,  Camptown,  by  Mes- 
senger Duroc,  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and 
second  dam  by  the  Holbert  Colt,  another  son  of 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian;  third  dam.  Mayfly,  by  Utter 
Horse,  son  of  Hoyt's  Comet,  and  fourth  dam,  Virgo, 
by  Roe's  Abdallah  Chief,  son  of  old  Abdallah.  The 
dam  of  Messenger  Duroc  was  also  by  Roe's  Abdallah 
Chief.  Some  twenty-seven  years  ago,  Wallace's 
Monthly,  in  commenting  on  the  breeding  of  Egbert, 
stated  that  his  pedigree  showed  thirty-five  crosses  of 
imported  Messenger  and  nineteen  crosses  of  imported 
Diomed. 

Egbert  was  a  dark  bay  in  color,  with  a  very  small 
star  in  forehead,  a  stripe  on  his  nose  and  left  hind 
ankle  white.  When  young,  he  had  a  dark  spot  on 
the  point  of  his  right  shoulder.  He  stood  15.2  hands 
at  maturity,  and  was  handsomer  than  many  of  the 
sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  particularly  about  the 
head  and  neck.  So  far  as  known  Egbert  was  never 
handled  for  speed,  and  there  is  nothing  on  record  in 
regard  to  his  gait. 

In  October,  1877,  Mr.  Walker  disposed  of  his  trot- 
ting stock  at  public  sale,  and  Egbert,  then  two  years 
old  past,  brought  |3,425  under  the  hammer.  The  pur- 
chaser was  H.  J.  Hendryx,  Dowagiac,  Mich.  On  the 
following  day,  if  we  remember  correctly,  Mr.  Hendryx 

95 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

sold  Egbert  by  telegraph  for  |4,000  to  Messrs.  Bou 
denbush  and  Benton,  Reading,  Pa.  Early  in  1880  the 
horse  was  bought  by  Colonel  Richard  West  of  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  and  made  his  first  season  there  in  1880. 
He  stood  in  Kentucky  until  January,  1893,  when  he 
was  offered  at  a  public  sale  of  trotting  stock,  conduct- 
ed by  Messrs.  Woodward  and  Shanklin,  Lexington, 
Ky.,  and  brought  |12,500,  but  did  not  leave  Lexington. 
Two  months  later,  about  April  1,  1893,  Egbert  was 
bought  by  Messrs.  F.  M.  and  D.  R.  Mills  of  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  and  taken  there.  At  that  time  his  list  of  stand- 
ard performers  numbered  forty-five  trotters  and  eight 
pacers.  Egbert's  list  of  standard  performers  increased 
so  rapidly  for  the  next  two  or  three  years  as  to  cause 
some  to  predict  that  he  would  eventually  become  the 
leading  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  as  a  sire  of 
standard  speed,  but  after  going  to  Iowa  he  seemed  to 
drop  so  completely  out  of  sight  that  even  the  late  J. 
H.  Wallace,  who  was  always  a  great  admirer  of  Egbert 
on  account  of  his  breeding,  had  evidently  forgotten 
that  the  horse  ever  went  to  Iowa,  as  he  made  no  men- 
tion of  that  fact  when  speaking  of  Egbert  in  his  last 
work,  "The  Horse  of  America,"  published  in  1897, 
Whether  Egbert  is  still  living  or  not  is  a  question. 
We  have  never  seen  his  death  announced,  and  his 
name  has  seldom  been  mentioned  late  years  except  as 
it  appears  in  the  Great  Table  of  sires  of  standard  per- 
formers. Being  so  strongly  inbred  to  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian and  old  Abdallah,  it  is  natural  to  expect 
that  he  would  possess  greater  speed  perpetuating  abil- 
ity than  any  of  the  other  sons  of  his  sire.  But  the 
records  do  not  show  that  such  was  the  case.     None  of 


96 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS   SONS, 

his  get  has  ever  taken  a  record  so  fast  as  2.10,  and 
the  total  number  got  by  all  his  sons  that  entered  the 
standard  list  during  the  season  of  1903  was  eight,  four 
trotters  and  four  pacers. 

Egbert  is  now  credited  with  sixty-seven  trotters  and 
eighteen  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records, 
also  with  forty-one  sons  that  have  sired  sixty-six  trot 
ters  and  fifty-three  pacers  that  have  taken  records  in 
standard  time;  also  with  forty-five  daughters  that 
have  produced  forty  trotters  and  twenty  pacers 
with  standard  records.  It  should  be  remembered, 
however,  that  Egbert  was  one  of  the  youngest  sons 
of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 

Strathmore.  During  the  season  of  1864  Rysdyk^s 
Hambletonian  received  two  hundred  and  seventeen 
patrons.  The  result  was  one  hundred  and  forty-eight 
living  foals.  The  following  year,  1865,  he  received 
one  hundred  and  ninety-three  patrons,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-eight  of  them  produced  foals.  One  of 
these  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  foals  was  the  now 
famous  stallion  Strathmore,  bred  by  Aristides  Welch 
of  Chestnut  Hill,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  foaled  in 
1866.  The  dam  of  Strathmore  was  a  famous  road 
mare,  known  as  Lady  Waltermire.  The  noted  trainer, 
"General"  (John  E.)  Turner  once  stated  that  there 
never  had  been  such  a  road  mare  in  Philadelphia  as 
Lady  Waltermire,  and  never  would  be  another.  It  is 
stated  upon  good  authority  that  Lady  Waltermire 
trotted  a  mile  in  2.32  and  repeated  in  2.30,  pulling  a 
skeleton  wagon.  A  Mr.  Carl  Cockey  of  Baltimore,  one 
of  the  men  who  timed  her  in  the  above  performance, 
bought  Lady  Waltermire  for  ?2,500.     Mr.  Cockey  sold 

97 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

her  to   Mr.   Welch.     Her  sire  was  North   American, 
also  known  as  the  Bullock  Horse,  and  her  dam  was 
said  to  be  by  Harris  Hambletonian,  a  son  of  Bishop's 
Hambletonian,  by  imported  Messenger.     North  Amer- 
ican was  bred  on  Grand  Isle,  N.  Y.,  and  is  registered  in 
Vol.  1  of  the  American  Trotting  Register  as  by  Sir 
Walter;  dam  a  pacer  of  unknown  breeding.     Sir  Wal- 
ter was  running  bred.     His  sire  was  Hickory  by  im- 
ported Whip.     His  dam,  Nettletop,  was  by  imported 
Diomed,  and  his  second  dam  was  Betsey  Lewis  by  im- 
ported Shark.     The  latter  was  by  Marske,  sire  of  the 
renowned  English  Eclipse.     His  dam  was  by  Snap, 
son  of  Snip  by  Flying  Childers,  and  his  second  dam 
by  Marlborough,  a  son  of  Godolphin  Arabian.     Years 
afterwards,  when  Mr.  Wallace  was  fighting  with  all 
his  might  to  eliminate  all  thoroughbred  crosses  from 
the  pedigrees  of  successful  trotters  and  trotting  sires, 
he  substituted  a  pacing  work  horse  of  unknown  breed- 
ing for  Sir  Walter,  the  sire  of  North  American.     This 
was  done  according  to  his  own  admission  on  the  state- 
ment of  a  man  who  reported  from  memory  and  claimed 
to  know  nothing  about  the  matter  personally,  but  had 
been  told  so  by  another  party  not  then  living.     The 
evidence,  if  it  may  be  termed  such,  upon  which  this 
pedigree   was   changed,   may  be   found   in   Wallace's 
Monthly  for  February,  1880,  page  61.     There  is  not 
the  slightest  doubt  that  the  pedigree  as  registered  in 
Vol.  1  was  correct. 

Strathmore  was  a  bay  horse  about  15.1  hands  high^ 
whose  conformation  in  some  respects  resembled  that 
of  his  sire,  particularly  his  barrel  and  quarters.  His 
head  and  ears,  however,  were  much  finer  than  those  of 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

his  sire  and  his  hind  legs  much  straighter  than  those 
of  Hambletonian.     It  has  been  stated  that  Strathmore 
was  inclined  to  pace,  but  has  never  been  claimed  that 
he  was  trained,  or  that  he  ever  showed  speed  at  any 
gait.    He  was  first  christened  Goodwin  Watson  and 
went  by  that  name  until  1873,  when  he  was  bought  for 
$1,000  by  Colonel  R.  G.  Stoner  of  Paris  Ky.     His  new 
owner  changed  his  name  to  Strathmore.     It  is  evident 
from  the  price  paid  that  he  was  not  considered  very 
promising  as  a  sire  when  Colonel  Stoner  bought  him. 
During  his  first  few  seasons  in  Kentucky  he  received 
but  a  limited  patronage.     The  first  year  that  he  stood 
there  he  got  Santa  Claus,  that  trotted  to  a  record 
of  2.18  as  a  five-year-old,  which  at  that  time,  1879, 
was  the  fastest  record  ever  made  by  a  five-year-old 
trotter.     In  1881  Santa  Claus  reduced  his  record  to 
2.17  1-2.    When  Santa  Claus  was  dropped  he  was  so 
crooked  and  curby  that  Colonel  Stoner  tried  to  per- 
suade his  owner  to  kill  the  colt,  and  offered  him  a  free 
service  of  Strathmore  if  he  would  do  so,  but  fortunate- 
ly the  offer  was  declined.    Had  it  been  accepted  there 
would  have  been  no  Lou  Dillon,  1.58  1-2.     The  same 
year  that  Santa  Claus  secured  the  world's  champion 
record     for     five-year-old     trotters,      Steinway,      by 
Strathmore,  lowered  the  world's  champion  record  for 
three-year-old      trotters      to      2.25  3-4.       These      two 
champion    trotters    of    their    respective    ages    com- 
ing out  the  same  season,  opened  the  eyes  of  breeders 
to  the  merits  of  Strathmore  as  a  sire  of  speed.    He  at 
once  became  a  popular  sire  and  was  well  patronized 
from  that  time.     On  Feb.  9,  1886,  Colonel  Stoner  dis- 
posed of  about  sixty  head  of  trotting  stock  at  public 

99 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

sale,  and  Strathmore  among  them.  Roekhill  Bros.  & 
Fleming,  proprietors  of  Elm  wood  Farm,  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.,  bought  Strathmore  for  |2,150,  and  kept  him  till 
he  broke  a  leg  from  falling  on  the  ice,  March  13,  1895, 
when  they  had  him  killed. 

Although  so  lightly  esteemed  in  early  life,  that  up 
to  the  time  he  was  seven  years  old  he  had  got  but 
three  foals,  Strathmore  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  of  the  most  famous  sons  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian,  as  a  speed  perpetuator.  His  son,  Santa  Claus, 
(2.171-2),  got  mdney  (2.19  3-4),  the  sire  of  fifty-eight 
trotters  and  forty-two  pacers  that  have  made  standard 
records.  Five  of  these  took  records  as  yearlings,  viz, 
the  trotters  Frou  Frou  (2.25  1-4)  and  Idah  (2.30),  and 
the  pacers  Rosedale  (2.22),  Fausta  (2.22  3-4),  and 
William  Sidney  (2.25).  Sidney  is  the  only  sire  that 
has  ever  got  so  many  as  five  that  have  made  standard 
records  as  yearlings.  He  got  Sidney  Dillon,  sire  of 
the  world's  champion  trotter,  Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2), 
Dolly  Dillon  (2.06  3-4),  etc.  Steinway  (3)  (2.25  3-4) 
by  Strathmore  got  Klatawah,  that  lowered  the  world's 
champion  record  for  three-year-old  pacers  to  2.05  1-2 
in  1898,  and  that  still  stands  as  the  fastest  ever  made 
by  a  three-year-old  pacer.  The  fastest  of  the  get  of 
Strathmore  is  AhMe  Strathmore  (2.071-4),  and  his 
next  fastest  is  Terrill  S.  (2.081-4).  At  the  close  of 
the  season  of  1903  Strathmore  was  credited  with  fifty- 
four  trotters  and  thirty-five  pacers  that  had  made 
standard  records;  also  with  forty-one  sons  that  had 
sired  seventy-two  trotters  and  eighty -two  pacers;  and 
ninety-three  daughters  that  had  produced  ninety-six 
trotters  and  fifty-two  pacers  with  standard  records. 


100 


HAMBLETONIAN   AND    HIS    SONS. 

The  only  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  that  outranks 
Strathmore  as  a  broodmare  sire  is  George  Wilkes, 
then  credited  with  one  hundred  and  one  daughters 
that  have  produced  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  trot- 
ters and  forty-seven  pacers  which  have  made  records 
in  standard  time.  Ten  years  hence  the  daughters  of 
Strathmore  will  have  a  greater  number  of  standard 
performers  to  their  credit  than  will  those  of  George 
Wilkes. 

Sweepstakes.  Nine  other  sons  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian have  each  sired  twenty  or  more  trotters  that 
have  made  standard  records.  They  are  Sweepstakes, 
Dauntless,  Victor  Yon  Bismarck,  Masterlode,  Gen. 
Stanton,  Jay  Gould,  Hambletonian  Prince,  Squire 
Talmage  and  Messenger  Duroc.  Sweepstakes,  foaled 
in  1867,  is  credited  with  thirty-nine  trotters  and  three 
pacers;  also  with  six  sons  that  have  sired  nine  trot- 
ters and  four  pacers,  and  twenty-nine  of  his  daugh- 
ters have  produced  forty-two  trotters  and  six  pacers 
with  standard  records.  The  dam  of  Sweepstakes  was 
Emma  Mills  by  Seely's  American  Star;  second  dam  by 
a  grandson  of  Cole's  Messenger,  the  latter  by  imported 
Messenger. 

Dauntless.  Dauntless,  foaled  in  1867,  is  the  sire 
of  thirty-three  trotters  and  three  pacers  that  have 
made  standard  records;  nine  of  his  sons  have  sired 
seven  trotters  and  six  pacers,  and  eleven  of  his  daugh- 
ters have  produced  twelve  trotters  and  four  pacers 
with  standard  records.  The  dam  of  Dauntless  was 
Sally  Feagles  by  Smith's  Clay,  Jr.,  he  by  Cassius  M. 
Clay,  a  son  of  old  Henry  Clay,  by  Andrew  Jackson, 


101 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

His  second  dam  was  by  Hulse's  Hickory,  breeding  tin- 
traced,  but  believed  to  have  been  from  running  bred 
stock. 

Victor  Von  Bismarck.  Victor  Von  Bismarck, 
foaled  in  1867,  is  the  sire  of  twenty-nine  trotters  and 
two  pacers,  with  standard  records;  also  of  nineteen 
stallions  that  have  sired  seventy  trotters  and  twenty- 
two  pacers,  and  twenty-two  mares  that  have  produced 
nineteen  trotters  and  four  pacers  with  standard  rec- 
ords. The  dam  of  Victor  Von  Bismarck  was  Hat- 
tie  Wood  (dam  of  Gazelle,  2.21,  etc.),  by  Sayre's 
Harry  Clay  (2.29)  ;  second  dam  Grandmother  by  Ter- 
ror, son  of  American  Eclipse;  third  dam  by  Cock  of 
the  Rock,  son  of  Duroc. 

Masterlode.  Masterlode,  foaled  in  1868,  is  the  sire 
of  twenty-seven  trotters  and  one  pacer  with  standard 
records.  He  also  got  twenty  stallions  that  sired  thir- 
ty-four trotters  and  fifteen  pacers,  and  twenty-eight  of 
his  daughters  have  produced  thirty-one  trotters  and 
seven  pacers  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time. 
The  dam  of  Masterlode  was  Lady  Irwin  by  Seely^s 
American  Star,  second  dam  by  old  Abdallah,  son  of 
Mambrino. 

General  Stanton.  General  Stanton,  foaled  in 
1866,  got  twenty-six  trotters  and  four  pacers  that  made 
standard  records.  He  also  got  six  stallions  that  have 
sired  eight  trotters  and  three  pacers,  and  eight  of  his 
daughters  have  produced  eight  trotters  and  two 
pacers  with  standard  records.  General  Stanton.'s 
dam  was  by  one-eyed  Kentucky  Hunter ;  second  dam  by 
Long  Island  Black  Hawk,  son  of  Andrew  Jackson. 

102 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

Jay  Gould.  Jay  Gould  (2.211-2),  at  first  called 
Judge  Brigham,  foaled  in  1864,  got  twenty-six  trotters 
and  three  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records. 
He  also  got  sixteen  stallions  that  have  sired  thirty- 
three  trotters  and  twenty  pacers,  and  thirty-seven 
of  his  daughters  have  produced  sixty-eight  trotters 
and  five  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records.  The 
dam  of  Jay  Gould  was  Lady  Sanford  by  Seely's 
American  Star;  second  dam  Old  Sorrell,  by  Exton 
Eclipse,  son  of  American  Eclipse;  third  dam  by  Mes- 
senger Duroc,  son  of  Sir  Archy  Duroc. 

Hambletonian  Prince.  Hambletonian  Prince 
(Baird's),  foaled  in  1863,  is  credited  with  twenty -three 
standard  performers,  all  trotters.  Four  of  his  sons 
have  sired  eleven  trotters,  and  fifteen  of  his  daughters 
have  produced  fifteen  trotters  and  seven  pacers  that 
have  made  standard  records.  The  dam  of  Hamble- 
tonian Prince  was  Nelly  Cammeyer  by  Cassius  M. 
Clay,  son  of  Henry  Clay  by  Andrew  Jackson;  second 
dam  by  Chancellor,  son  of  Mambrino,  by  imported 
Messenger;  third  dam  by  Mt.  Holly,  a  son  of  imported 
Messenger,  and  fourth  dam  by  Engineer,  son  of  im- 
ported Messenger.  It  will  be  seen  that  Hambletonian 
Prince  was  very  strongly  inbred  to  imported  Messen- 
ger, through  both  sire  and  dam. 

Squire  Talmage.  Squire  Talmage  (also  called 
Strader's  Hambletonian),  foaled  in  1866,  has  to  his 
credit  twenty-two  trotters  and  two  pacers  with  stand- 
ard records;  ten  of  his  sons  have  sired  sixteen  trot- 
ters and  nine  pacers,  and  eighteen  of  his  daughters 
have  produced  twenty-four  trotters  and  two  pacers 
that  have  made  records  in  standard  time.    The  dam 


103 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

of  Squire  Talmage  was  Lady  Talmage,  by  Seely's 
American  Star.  Squire  Talmage  had  a  trotting  rec- 
ord of  2.39  1-4. 

Messenger  Duroc.  Messenger  Duroc,  bay  horse, 
foaled  in  1865,  is  credited  with  twenty-two  trotters 
and  one  pacer  that  have  made  standard  records;  also 
with  twenty-five  sons  that  have  sired  ninety-four  trot- 
ters and  nineteen  pacers  with  standard  records,  and 
fifty  daughters  that  have  produced  sixty-seven  trotters 
and  six  pacers  with  records  in  standard  time.  The 
dam  of  Messenger  Duroc  was  Satinet  by  Roe's  Ab- 
dallah  Chief,  a  son  of  old  Abdallah;  second  dam  Cat- 
bird by  Whistle  Jacket,  a  son  of  Mambrino;  third 
dam  by  Bertholf  Horse,  son  of  imported  Messenger, 
and  fourth  dam  by  Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed. 

The  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  family  not  only  sur- 
passes all  the  other  trotting  families  in  number  and 
quality,  but  is  rapidly  absorbing  all  the  others  and 
bids  fair  to  soon  swallow  them  up  completely.  The 
stallions  that  head  the  studs  today  of  nearly  all  the 
prominent  breeding  establishments  are  direct  descend- 
ants of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  the  majority  of 
them  are  members  of  either  the  Wilkes,  Electioneer, 
Nutwood,  Dictator  or  Harold  branches  of  that  fam- 
ily. The  Wilkeses  are  in  a  large  majority  and  the 
Electioneers  next  in  rank.  All  the  best  qualities  of  the 
extinct  trotting  families  and  those  that  are  fast  be- 
coming extinct  have  been  engrafted  upon  and  have 
served  to  improve  the  families  that  are  crowding  them 
out  of  existence.  It  is  a  case  of  "the  survival  of  the 
fittest,"  but  those  which  have  been  forced  to  succumb, 
or  some  of  them,  at  least,  have  exerted  an  influence 


104 


HAMBLETONIAN    AND    HIS    SONS. 

that  will  be  felt  as  long  as  the  American  trotter  ex- 
ists. These  families  are  really  lost  only  so  far  as 
name  is  concerned.  The  tendency  today  is  to  inbreed 
to  the  Hambletonian  strain,  and  this  method  of  breed- 
ing is  producing  excellent  results.  The  time  may 
come  when  an  outcross  may  be  necessary.  There  will 
then  be  plenty  of  first-class  thoroughbred  families 
that  may  be  employed  to  advantage.  That  is  un- 
doubtedly the  source  from  which  the  American  trotter 
has  derived  the  speed,  courage  and  stamina  that  has 
made  him  so  vastly  superior  to  the  trotters  produced 
by  any  other  nation  in  the  world. 


105 


Chapter  IV. 
MAMBRINO  CHIEF  FAMILY. 


Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4). — Herr's  Mambrino  Patchen. — ^Wood- 
ford Mambrino. — Mambrino  King. — Alma  Mater. — Prin- 
ceps. — Pancoast.  —  Fisk's  Mambrino  Chief,  Jr.  —  Clark 
Chief.  —  Ericsson. 

Mambrino  Chief  Family.  The  Mambrino  Chief 
trotting  family  ranks  next  in  importance  to  that 
founded  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  Mambrino  Chief, 
the  founder  of  the  family,  was  bred  by  Richard  El- 
dridge  of  Mabbettsville,  Duchess  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
foaled  May  9,  1844.  His  sire  was  Mambrino  Pay- 
master, and  his  dam  was  known  as  the  Eldridge  Mare. 
Mambrino  Paymaster  was  a  large  bay  horse,  16.2 
hands  high,  bred  by  Azariah  Arnold  of  Duchess  coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  got  by  Mambrino,  the  same  running  bred 
son  of  imported  Messenger,  that  got  Abdallah,  the  sire 
of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  It  has  been  generally 
conceded  that  the  dam  of  Mambrino  Paymaster  was  of 
wholly  unknown  lineage.  Vol.  1  of  Wallace's  Ameri- 
can Trotting  Register,  in  which  Mambrino  Paymaster 
is  registered,  states  that  his  dam  was  by  imported 
Paymaster. 


106 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY, 

When  the  controversy  in  regard  to  the  influence  of 
a  thoroughbred  cross  in  a  trotting  pedigree  waxed  ex- 
ceedingly warm,  several  years  ago,  it  was  boldly  as- 
serted that  there  was  no  truth  in  the  statement  that 
the  dam  of  Mambrino  Paymaster  was  by  imported 
Paymaster,  and  that  the  only  ground  for  the  state- 
ment in  the  first  place  was  a  resemblance,  real  or 
fancied,  that  this  mare  bore  to  imported  Paymaster. 
In  Vol.  2,  Mr.  Wallace  re-registered  Mambrino  Pay- 
master with  the  following  change:     "Dam,   a   hand- 
some blood-like  bay  mare  owned  by  i^zariah  Arnold 
and  represented  to  be  by  imported  Paymaster,  but  to- 
ward the  end  of  Mr.  Arnold's  life  he  said  he  did  not 
know  she  was  a  Paymaster."     It  seems  that  Mr.  Arnold 
was  a  man  of  undoubted  veracity  who  would  not  know- 
ingly misrepresent.     In  early   life,   when  his  mental 
faculties  were  unimpaired,  Mr.  Arnold  always  stated 
positively  that  the  dam  of  Mambrino  Paymaster  was 
by  imported  Paymaster.     After  his  faculties  were  so 
impaired  by  age  that  he  could  not  recall  events  clear- 
ly, he  undoubtedly  did  say  that  he  then  did  not  know 
that   she  was  by   imported   Paymaster.     In   his   last 
work,  "The  Horse  of  America,"  page  260,  Mr.  Wallace 
says,  "I  have  but  little  doubt  that  the  Paymaster  cross 
is  correct."    This  was  considerable  for  Mr.  Wallace  to 
admit,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  settles  the  matter. 
It  was  stated  years  ago  upon  apparently  good  au- 
thority that  Mambrino  Paymaster  could  show  a  2.45 
gait  or  better  at  the  trot.     The  only  one  of  his  get  that 
was  successful  as  a  race  winner  was  a  bay  mare  called 
lola  that  won  a  two-mile  heat  race  at  Union  Course, 
L.  I.,  October  23,  1856,  in  5.09  1-2,  5.17  1-2,  which  gave 


107 


THE  america:si  trotter. 

her  a  record  of  2.34  3-4.  Mambrino  Paymaster  was 
blind  during  several  of  the  last  years  of  his  life. 

The  dam  of  Mambrino  Chief  was  a  dark  brown  in 
color,  and  stood  about  15.2  or  15.3  hands  high.  She 
had  considerable  substance,  but  her  back  was  rather 
long,  her  coupling  somewhat  slack,  and  she  had  less 
width  across  the  loin  than  was  considered  desirable 
in  a  horse  of  her  size,  though  she  was  of  good  width 
across  the  hips.  She  was  a  good,  serviceable  animal, 
however,  a  square-gaited  trotter,  and  could  undoubt- 
edly pull  an  ordinary  wagon  a  three-minute  gait  on  the 
road.  Her  breeding  has  been  the  subject  of  consider- 
able discussion  in  years  past.  H.  T.  Helm,  Esq.,  in- 
vestigated the  matter  very  carefully  some  twenty-five 
or  more  years  ago,  and  the  circumstantial  evidence 
which  he  obtained  is  given  at  length  in  his  interesting 
work  published  in  1878  entitled  "  American  Roadsters 
and  Trotting  Horses."  Before  Mr.  Helm  investigated 
the  facts  it  was  believed  that  the  dam  of  Mambrino 
Chief  came  to  New  York  from  one  of  the  Western 
States  in  a  drove  of  horses  brought  by  a  Mr.  Nichol- 
son to  Washington  Hollow,  N.  Y.  A  Mr.  G.  G.  Sharp- 
stein,  who  knew  the  dam  of  Mambrino  Chief  well, 
wrote  of  her  as  follows: 

The  dam  of  Mambrino  Chief  was  brought  to  our  town  by- 
Mr.  Nicholson.  I  saw  her  the  day  she  arrived  with  others. 
She  was  bought  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles  west  of  Kingston, 
N.  Y.  She  was  a  large,  coarse,  brown  or  black  mare,  I  think 
without  white  marks,  at  least  not  conspicuous.  I  saw  her 
almost  every  week  for  ten  years. 

A  careful  examination  of  the  circumstantial  evi- 
dence that  Mr.  Helm  collected  and  presented  in  his 
interesting   work    will    convince  every   unprejudiced 


108 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY, 

man  that  there  is  a  strong  probability  that  the  dam  of 
Mambrino  Chief  was  got  by  old  Messenger  Duroc. 
The  latter  was  by  Duroc,  and  his  dam  was  by  imported 
Messenger.  The  fact  that  the  best  trotter  got  by 
Mambrino  Chief,  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  and  that 
Mambrino  Chiefs  most  successful  son,  as  a  sire  and 
perpetuator  of  speed,  Mambrino  Patchen,  were  from 
a  mare  in  which  the  Duroc  and  Messenger  strains  were 
prominent,  is  another  thread  which  tends  to  strength- 
en the  probability  that  the  Eldridge  mare,  Mambrino 
Chiefs  dam,  was  by  old  Messenger  Duroc. 

Mambrino  Chief  was  a  rich  brown  in  color,  fully 
sixteen  hands  high,  and  when  in  stud  condition 
weighed  upwards  of  1,300  pounds.  He  was  a  natural 
trotter  and  could  probably  show  as  much  speed  as  any 
trotting  stallion  of  his  day.  When  he  was  three  years 
old  Mr.  Richard  Eldridge,  who  bred  him,  sold  Mam- 
brino Chief  to  Warren  Williams.  Mr.  Williams  broke 
the  colt  to  harness  and  kept  him  four  seasons  for  stock 
purposes.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Warren  Williams  in 
1851,  Mambrino  Chief  was  bought  by  George  T.  Wil- 
liams, who  shortly  afterwards  sold  a  half  interest  in 
the  horse  to  James  M.  Cockroft,  who  lived  a  few 
months  each  year  at  Washington  Hollow,  N.  Y.  Pre- 
vious to  the  time  that  Mr.  Cockroft  purchased  Mam- 
brino Chief  he  had  never  been  trained  or  driven  on  a 
track.  He  showed  so  much  speed  on  the  road,  how- 
ever, that  in  the  fall  of  1852  Mr.  Cockroft  took  the 
horse  to  a  slow  half-mile  track  at  Washington  Hol- 
low, to  test  his  speed.  The  first  time  that  he  was 
started  on  a  track  he  trotted  a  mile  to  saddle  in  2.36, 
ridden   by   Seymour   Tomlinson.    After   cooling  out, 


109 


TEE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

Mambrino  Chief  was  hitched  to  sulky  and  trotted  an- 
other mile  in  2.40.     After  this  trial  Mr.  Cockroft  drove 
Mambrino  Chief  to  the  track  occasionally  and  worked 
him  some  that  season,  and  also  during  the  season  of 
1853.     It  is  stated  upon  good  authority  that  on  one  oc- 
casion the  horse  trotted  a  mile  in  2.32  and  showed 
quarters  on  several  occasions  in  37  seconds,  a  2.28  gait. 
In  the  winter  of  1854,  Edwin  Thorne,  Esq.,  a  wealthy 
gentleman  of  Millbrook,  Duchess  county,  N.  Y.,  who 
loved  a  fast  trotter,  and  at  one  time  and  another 
owned  many  of  them,  bought  Mambrino    Chief     for 
James  B.  Clay,  Esq.,  then  proprietor  of  the  famous 
Ashland  Farm,  near  Lexington,  Ky.     It  was  under- 
stood that  the  price    paid    was     |3,000.     Mambrino 
Chief  was  taken  to  Ashland  Farm  in  February,  1854, 
and  was  so  highly  appreciated  by  Kentucky  horsemen 
that,   within  an  hour  from  the  time  of  his   arrival 
there,  twenty  mares  had  been  booked  to  him.       He 
stood  for  public  service  at  Ashland  Farm  three  sea- 
sons.    At  the  end  of  that  time  the  horse  was  bought 
by  Messrs.  Gray  and  Jones  for  |5,020,  and  taken  to  the 
farm  of  Colonel  Louis  Jones,  Woodford  county,  Ky., 
where  he  was  kept  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  28,  1862.    He  made  eight  seasons  in  Kentucky. 
Counting  his  three-year-old  form,  he  made  seven  sea- 
sons in  New  York  State,  before  going  to  Kentucky,  but 
was  not  extensively  patronized  there.     It  is  probable 
that  only  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  foals  re- 
sulted from  his  services  in  New  York  State.     He  got 
in  all  six  trotters  that  took  records  of  2.30  or  better, 
and  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  every  one  of  the  six 
was  bred  in  Kentucky.     Not  one  of  those  that  he  got 


110 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY. 

in  New  York  State,  where  trotting  mares,  and  cold- 
blooded ones,  were  much  more  plentiful  than  in  Ken- 
tucky, ever  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.30.  The  fastest  of 
his  get  was  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  whose  dam,  the 
Eodes  mare,  was  by  the  running  bred  Gano,  and 
whose  second  dam  was  by  the  son  of  Sir  William,  he 
by  the  renowned  Sir  Archy,  and  whose  third  dam  was 
a  very  blood  like  pacer.  Gano,  sire  of  the  Rodes  mare, 
was  by  the  noted  four-mile  running  race  winner,  Amer- 
ican Eclipse,  whose  sire  was  Duroc,  and  whose  dam 
was  the  successful  race  mare.  Miller's  Damsel,  by  im- 
ported Messenger.  The  dam  of  Gano  was  Betsey 
Richards,  by  Sir  Archy. 

The  next  fastest  trotter  got  by  Mambrino  Chief  was 
Woodford  Mambrino  (2.211-2).  The  dam  of  Wood- 
ford Mambrino  was  the  great  brood  mare  Woodbine, 
that  also  produced  Wedgewood  (2.19).  Woodbine's 
sire  was  Woodford,  a  running  bred  son  of  Kosciusko, 
by  Sir  Archy.  Mambrino  Chief  is  credited  with 
twenty -three  sons  that  have  sired  a  total  of  ninety-six 
that  have  taken  records,  and  all  of  them  were  trotters. 
He  is  also  credited  with  seventeen  daughters  that  pro- 
duced twenty-four  with  standard  records,  all  trotters. 
His  daughters  also  produced  forty-nine  stallions  that 
have  sired  standard  speed.  Some  of  the  most  noted 
sires  from  daughters  of  Mambrino  Chief  are  Almont, 
Belmont,  Director  (2.17),  Onward  (2.251-4),  and  Red 
Wilkes. 

Here's  Mambrino  Patchen.  The  most  successful 
son  of  Mambrino  Chief  as  a  sire  and  perpetuator  of 
speed  was  Herr's  Mambrino  Patchen.  The  dam  of  the 
latter    was    the    Rodes    mare,    dam    of    Lady    Thorn 


111 


TEE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

(2.181-4),  and  her  breeding  is  given  above.  Mambri- 
no  Patchen  was  a  full  brother  of  Mambrino  Chiefs 
fastest  trotter,  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4).  He  was  a 
handsome,  smoothly  turned  and  highly  finished  black 
horse,  about  sixteen  hands  high.  He  was  bred  by  Dr. 
J.  Herr,  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  foaled  in  1862.  When  in 
his  yearling  form  Dr.  Herr  sold  Mambrino  Patchen 
to  Mr.  John  K.  Alexander  of  Illinois  for  |1,500,  a  very 
large  price  for  a  yearling  colt  at  that  early  day.  Dr. 
Herr  then  owned  Mambrino  Pilot,  by  Mambrino  Chief. 
The  following  year  he  sold  Mambrino  Pilot  for  |10,000, 
and  immediately  bought  Mambrino  Patchen,  then  a 
two-year-old.  He  was  never  raced,  and,  judging  from 
Dr.  Herr's  statement  concerning  the  horse,  was  not 
worked  much  for  speed.  He  was  trotting  gaited,  how- 
ever, and  on  one  occasion  was  timed  a  quarter  in  40 
seconds.  It  has  been  reported  that  Mambrino  Patch- 
en's  sire  was  a  Denmark  horse.  The  matter  was  fully 
•discussed  last  season  and  evidence  so  positive  and 
conclusive  was  brought  to  light  as  to  leave  not  the 
slightest  room  to  doubt  that  his  sire  was  Mambrino 
Chief. 

Mambrino  Patchen  was  the  sire  of  twenty-five  that 
made  records  in  standard  time,  all  trotters.  He  is 
credited  with  fifty-three  sons  that  sired  one  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  trotters,  and  forty  pacers  with  standard 
records;  also  with  one  hundred  and  two  daughters 
that  up  to  the  close  of  the  season  of  1903  had  produced 
one  hundred  and  thirty-five  trotters  and  seventeen 
pacers,  which  had  taken  standard  records.  A  few 
years  ago  Mambrino  Patchen  stood  at  the  head  of  all 
stallions  as  a  brood  mare  sire  and  still  ranks  well  up 

112 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY. 

among  the  very  best  in  that  respect. 

Mambrino  King.  Mambrino  Patchen's  most  suc- 
cessful son  as  a  sire  was  Mambrino  King,  owned 
for  many  years  at  Village  Farm.  When  in  his 
prime  Mambrino  King  was  generally  admitted  to 
be  one  of  the  handsomest  horses  in  America, 
by  some  pronounced  the  handsomest.  When  Mr. 
C.  J.  Hamlin  paid  $10,000  for  Mambrino  King 
to  place  at  the  head  of  Village  Farm  stud,  he 
was  ridiculed  unsparingly  by  many  turf  writers,  and 
some  practical  breeders,  owing  to  the  fact  that  his 
blood  inheritage  was  derived  chiefly  from  ancestors 
that  were  trained  and  raced  at  the  running  gait.  His 
dam  was  by  Alexander's  Edwin  Forrest,  a  horse  that 
got  trotters,  though  so  far  as  known  his  onlv  claim  to 
trotting  inheritance  was  a  remote  cross  to  imported 
Messenger.  Edwin  Forrest  was  a  direct  descendant 
through  sire  and  dam  of  imported  Brown  Highlander. 
The  latter  was  inbred  to  Byerley  Turk,  Darley 
Arabian  and  Godolphin  Arabian.  The  second  dam 
of  Mambrino  King  was  by  Birmingham,  a  run- 
ning bred  son  of  Stockholder,  by  Sir  Archy ;  third  dam 
by  Bertrand,  another  famous  son  of  Sir  Archy,  and 
fourth  dam  by  Robert  Bruce,  he  by  Clinton,  and  he 
by  Sir  Charles,  another  noted  son  of  Sir  Archy. 

Mambrino  King  is  credited  with  fifty-three  trot- 
ters and  sixteen  pacers  that  have  made  standard 
records.  More  than  one-third  of  the  trotters 
and  pacers  got  by  the  fifty-three  sons  of  Mambrino 
Patchen,  that  sired  trotters  and  pacers  which  took 
records  in  standard  time,  were  got  by  Mambrino  King. 
The  total  number  got  by  the  other  fifty-two  sons  was 


113 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER. 

one  hundred  and  five  trotters  and  twenty-four  pacers, 
'^ight  of  the  get  of  Mambrino  King  have  made  records 
from  2.04  1-4  to  2.10  and  his  daughters  have  produced 
eight  that  have  taken  records  from  2.03  1-4,  2.09  3-4. 

Mambrino  King  was  credited  at  the  close  of  1903 
with  twenty-six  sons  that  had  got  one  hundred  and 
two  trotters  and  forty-eight  pacers  with  standard  rec- 
ords; also  with  fifty-nine  daughters  that  had  pro- 
duced fifty-one  trotters  and  thirty-four  pacers  which 
had  made  records  in  standard  time.  The  best  son  of 
Mambrino  King,  as  a  sire  of  speed,  is  Elyria,  trotting 
record  2.25  1-4.  Elyria  was  foaled  in  1882,  and  up  to 
the  present  time  not  less  than  eighty-four  of  his  sons 
and  daughters  have  made  records  of  2.30  or  better, 
sixty-five  of  which  are  trotters.  This  is  a  greater 
number  of  2.30  performers  than  has  been  got  by  any 
other  stallion  in  the  whole  of  the  Mambrino  Chief 
family.  The  dam  of  Elyria  was  by  Bradford's  Tele- 
graph, a  son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk  that  died  at  Au- 
gusta, Kentucky,  in  1876.  The  second  dam  of  Elyria 
was  by  Prince  Edward,  a  running  bred  son  of  Sir 
Charles,  by  Sir  Archy. 

Alma  Mater.  The  most  successful  daughter  of 
Mambrino  Patchen,  as  a  producer  and  perpetuator  of 
speed,  was  Alma  Mater.  She  was  the  dam  of  eight 
that  made  records  of  2.30  or  better,  all  trotters. 
Among  the  eight  are  the  successful  sires,  Alcantara, 
Alcyone,  Allandorf  and  Alfonso.  The  dam  of  Alma 
Mater  was  Estella,  by  imported  Australian,  and  her  sec- 
ond dam  was  Fanny  G.  by  imported  Margrave.  A 
daughter  of  Fanny  G.  produced  the  famous  brood 
mare  Dame  Winnie,  dam  of  Palo  Alto  (2.08  3-4)  and 


114 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY, 

four  other  trotters  that  have  made  records  in  standard 
time.  The  number  of  standard  performers  produced 
by  Alma  Mater,  together  with  those  sired  by  her  sons 
and  produced  by  her  daughters,  up  to  the  close  of 
1903,  was  greater  than  that  of  any  other  mare  that 
ever  lived.  Alma  Mater's  performers  numbered  two 
hundred  and  seventy  eight,  those  of  Mambrino  Chief  a 
famous  daughter,  old  Dolly,  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
six;  of  Miss  Russell,  the  greatest  daughter  of  Pilot, 
Jr.,  two  hundred  and  fifty-four;  of  Green  Mountain 
Maid,  dam  of  Electioneer,  etc.,  two  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-six, and  those  of  the  renowned  Beautiful  Bells 
(2.29  1-2)  numbered  two  hundred  and  nineteen.  This 
seems  almost  incredible,  but  the  figures  are  taken 
from  the  Year  Book  of  1903,  and  are  correct. 

Woodford  Mambrino  (2.211-2).  The  son  of 
Mambrino  Chief  that  ranks  next  to  Mambrino  Patch- 
en,  as  a  sire  and  perpetuator  of  speed,  was  Woodford 
Mambrino  (2.211-2).  He  was  bred  at  Woodburn 
Farm  and  foaled  in  1863.  He  was  a  rich  mahogany 
bay  in  color  and  stood  15.3  hands  in  height.  A  thor- 
ough horseman  who  examined  Woodford  Mambrino 
critically  describes  him  as  follows:  ''He  had  a  well 
formed,  clean  cut  head,  with  a  game-cock  throttle,  full 
intelligent  eye,  denoting  resolution  and  courage,  with 
a  well  shaped  ear.  Smaller  and  more  highly  formed 
than  is  peculiar  to  the  Mambrino  Chief  family ;  a  well 
proportioned,  slightly  arching  neck  of  good  length, 
sloping  shoulder,  well  rounded  barrel  of  good  length, 
a  strong  loin,  well  proportioned  hips,  croup  moderate- 
ly sloping  to  a  well  formed  tail,  which  was  well  car- 
ried.   He   had   strong,   well-rounded   quarters,   excel- 


115 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

lent  legs  and  feet,  with  bone  of  ivory  texture,  and  ten- 
dons of  catgut  and  steel,  giving  them  the  hard,  firm 
appearance  as  if  intended  for  the  wear  and  tear  of 
campaign  life.  He  was,  in  short,  a  perfect  type  of  the 
high  formed  American  trotting  horse  of  thoroughbred 
appearance." 

His  dam,  as  has  already  been  stated,  was  the  great 
brood  mare  Woodbine,    that    produced     Wedgewood 
(2.19).     Woodbine  was  by  Woodford,  and  he  by  Kos- 
ciusko, a  son  of  the  renowned  Sir  Archy.     The  dam  of 
Kosciusko  was  Lottery,  by  imported  Bedford,  and  the 
latter  by  Dungannon,  a  son  of  the    invincible     race 
horse  English  Eclipse.     The  second  dam  of  Kosciusko 
was  imported  Anvilina,  by  Anvil,  and  he  by  the  re- 
nowned Herod,  one  of  the  most  successful  sires  of 
race  winners  in  England  in  his  day.     Kosciusko  was 
a  full  brother  of  Saxe  Weimer.    The  latter  got  the 
second  dam  of  the  famous  brood  mare  Dolly,  by  Mam- 
brino   Chief.     He   also   got   the   second   dam   of   Ben 
Franklin,  the  sire  of  old  Dolly^s  dam.     The  dam  of 
Woodford,  sire  of  Woodbine,  was  by  Hancock's  Ham- 
lintonian,  a  son  of  Hamiltonian,  by  imported  Diomed. 
The  proprietor  of  Woodburn  Farm  did  not  make  a 
practice  of  developing  and  racing  the  trotters  that  he 
bred,  but  Woodford  Mambrino  was  so  promising  that 
he  made  an  exception  in  his  case.    He  started  him  in 
a  three-year-old  race  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  November  2, 
1866,  and  won,  giving  him  a  record  of  2.40  in  the  sec- 
ond heat.     In  November  of  that  year  Woodford  Mam- 
brino trotted  a  trial  mile  in  2.381-4.    He  was  used 
some  for  stock  purposes,  and  also  handled  some  for 
speed  each  season.    In  1870  he  trotted  a  trial  mile  in 


116 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY. 

2.241-4.  The  next  year,  1871,  he  trotted  a  mile 
in  2.23  3-4.  In  1872  he  suffered  from  a  fistula 
of  the  withers,  that  finally  caused  his  death 
several  years  later.  He  was  not  worked  for 
speed  that  season  or  the  following  one,  but  was  put 
in  training  again  in  1874  and  that  fall  trotted  a  public 
trial  over  the  Lexington,  Ky.,  track  in  2.20  1-4.  He 
was  kept  in  the  stud  the  two  following  seasons,  but 
in  1877  was  worked  again,  and  August  23,  that  year, 
took  a  record  of  2.34  1-4  in  a  race  which  he  won  at 
Cynthiana,  Ky.  Later  he  trotted  a  trial  mile  in  2.21 
on  the  slow  Woodbum  Farm  track,  and  in  October  of 
that  year  Mr.  Alexander,  proprietor  of  Woodburn 
Farm,  sold  Woodford  Mambrino  to  L.  B.  Dubois,  who 
sold  him  a  few  months  later  to  R.  C.  Pate  of  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  The  horse  was  campaigned  by  Mr.  Pate  in 
1878  and  established  a  reputation  for  gameness 
equalled  by  few  trotters  and  seldom  surpassed  by  any. 
Though  suffering  from  fistula  and  weakened  by  its  con- 
stant drain  upon  the  system,  Woodford  Mambrino 
started  in  fifteen  races  in  1878  and  won  first  money 
in  seven  of  them.  He  made  his  record,  2.21 1-2,  in 
the  first  heat  of  a  race  that  he  won  at  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  September  4,  1878,  when  he  beat  such  fast 
game  trotters  as  Bonesetter  (2.19),  Indianapolis 
(2.21),  and  Scott's  Thomas  (2.21). 

Woodford  Mambrino  died  March  30,  1879,  at  the 
stable  of  his  owner,  R.  C.  Pate,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He 
did  not  leave  a  very  numerous  progeny,  as  he  had  not 
been  extensively  patronized  while  at  Woodburn  Farm. 
He  is  credited  with  thirteen  trotters  that  made  records 
from  2.191-2  to  2.30,  and  with  twenty-five  sons  that 


117 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

have  sired  one  hundred  and  forty-three  trotters  and 
twenty-five  pacers ;  also  with  twenty-six  daughters  that 
produced  forty-two  trotters  that  have  made  standard 
records. 

Princeps.  The  son  of  Woodford  Mambrino  that 
has  sired  the  greatest  number  of  2.30  performers  is 
Princeps,  whose  dam,  Primrose,  was  by  Alexander's 
Abdallah,  and  whose  second  dam  was  the  famous 
Black  Rose,  by  Tom  Teemer.  Princeps  sired  fifty-two 
standard  performers,  forty-seven  of  which  were  trot- 
ters. He  is  credited  with  forty-one  sons  that  have 
sired  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  trotters  and  thirty- 
five  pacers;  also  with  forty -seven  daughters  that  have 
produced  fifty-three  trotters  and  ten  pacers  that  have 
made  standard  records.  Princeps'  best  son  is  Earl 
(2.23  3-4),  sire  of  twenty-seven  standard  performers, 
all  trotters. 

Pancoast  (2.213-4).  The  next  best  son  of  Wood- 
ford Mambrino  as  a  sire,  was  Pancoast  (2.213-4),  for 
which  J.  H.  Shults,  Parkville,  N.  Y.,  paid  |28,000  at 
auction  at  the  McFerran  dispersal  sale  in  Kentucky. 
The  dam  of  Pancoast  was  Bicara,  by  Harold,  and  his 
second  dam  was  Belle  (the  dam  of  Alexander's 
Belmont)  by  Mambrino  Chief.  Pancoast  was  injured 
severely  after  Mr.  Shults  bought  him,  by  a  bolt  of 
lightning,  which  rendered  him  incapable  of  use  in  the 
stud  for  some  time.  But  for  this  injury  he  would  un- 
doubtedly have  proved  more  successful  in  the  stud 
than  he  did.  He  is  now  credited  with  twenty  trotters 
and  five  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records ;  with 
eighteen  sons  that  have  sired  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  standard  performers,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  of 


118 


MAMBRINO    CHIEF   FAMILY. 

which  were  trotters;  also  with  fifteen  daughters  that 
have  produced  twenty-one  trotters  and  three  pacers 
that  have  made  records  in  standard  time.  Some  of 
the  fastest  performers  in  the  Mambrino  Chief  family 
were  got  by  sons  of  Pancoast,  including  Alix 
(2.03  3-4),  whose  sire  was  Patronage;  John  Nolan  (4) 
(2.08),  by  Prodigal  (2.16),  a  brother  of  Patronage; 
Ananias  (2.05),  Caspian  (2.071-4)  and  Caracalla 
(2.10),  all  got  by  Patron  (2.141-4),  another  brother 
of  Patronage. 

Mambrino  Pilot.  Mambrino  Pilot,  by  Mambrino 
Chief,  gained  quite  a  reputation  as  a  sire.  He  got  nine 
trotters  that  made  standard  records,  and  one  of  them 
was  Mambrino  Gift,  the  first  stallion  to  take  a  trotting 
ecord  of  2.20.  The  fastest  of  Mambrino  Pilots  get 
was  Hannis  (2.17  3-4),  and  he  is  proving  the  best  of 
his  sons  as  a  sire  of  standard  speed.  The  dam  of 
Mambrino  Pilot  was  Juliet,  by  Pilot,  Jr.;  second  dam 
by  Webster,  a  son  of  the  running  bred  Medoc,  and 
third  dam  by  American  Eclipse,  the  noted  four-mile 
running  race  horse. 

Fiske's  Mambrino  Chief^  Jr.  Fiske's  Mambrino 
Chief,  Jr.,  is  another  son  of  Mambrino  Chief  that  was 
valued  quite  highly  as  a  sire.  He  got  six  trotters  with 
records  of  2.30  or  better,  the  best  of  which  was  Mam- 
brino Sparkle  (2.17).  His  daughters  were  more  high 
ly  valued  than  his  sons  as  speed  perpetuators.  They 
produced  in  all  twenty -three  with  standard  records, 
including  Phoebe  Wilkes  (2.081-2).  The  dam  of 
Fiske's  Mambrino  Chief  was  the  second  dam  of  Mam- 
brino King.  She  was  by  Birmingham,  a  son  of  Stock- 
holder, by  Sir  Archy ;  dam  by  Bertrand,  by  Sir  Archy, 


119 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

and  second  dam  by  Sumpter,  by  Sir  Archy. 

Clark  Chief.  Clark  Chief  was  another  successful 
son  of  Mambrino  Chief  as  a  sire.  He  died  when  but 
ten  years  old,  yet  he  got  six  trotters  with  records 
from  2.191-4  to  2.30.  Kentucky  Prince,  by  Clark 
Chief,  was  a  successful  sire  of  speed.  Daughters  of 
Clark  Chief  were  very  successful  as  brood  mares. 
They  produced  such  performers  as  Martha  Wilkes 
(2.08),  W.  E.  G.  (2.09  1-2),  Phallas  (2.13  3-4),  etc. 

Ericsson.  Ericsson  was  another  son  of  Mambrino 
Chief  that  gained  distinction,  both  as  a  trotter  and 
perpetuator  of  speed.  He  was  one  of  the  largest 
sons  of  Mambrino  Chief.  He  took  a  record  of  2.30  1-2 
to  wagon  as  a  four-year-old,  the  best  that  had  ever 
been  made  by  a  four-year-old  at  that  time.  He  sired 
six  trotters  that  took  records  of  2.30  or  better. 
Daughters  of  Ericsson  were  quite  successful  brood 
mares.     One  of  them  produced  Moquette   (4)    (2.10). 

The  Mambrino  Chief  trotting  family  was  a  valuable 
one,  but  the  best  representatives  of  the  family  have  a 
cross  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  close  up.  Very  few 
prominent  stock  farms  in  America  have  a  stallion 
at  the  head  of  the  stud  that  is  a  direct  descendant  in 
the  paternal  line  of  Mambrino  Chief.  The  family  is 
being  gradually  but  surely  absorbed  by  that  of  Rysdyk^s 
Hambletonian,  and  it  is  probable  that,  like  that  of 
many  less  prominent  families,  it  will  in  time  become 
extinct. 


120 


Chapter  V. 
THE  CLAY  FAMILY. 


Henry  Clay.— Cassius  M.  Clay.— Geo.  M.  Patchen  (2.23  1-2).— 
Neave's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr. — The  Moor. — Sayre's  Harry 
Clay  (2.29).— Other  Clay  Stallions. 

Grand  Bashaw.  The  Clay  family  comes  next  in 
order.  The  founder  of  this  family,  a  horse  known 
and  registered  as  Henry  Clay,  was  a  direct  descendant 
in  the  paternal  line  of  an  imported  barb  stallion 
known  and  registered  as  Grand  Bashaw.  He  was 
brought  to  America  from  Tripoli,  and  it  was  stated 
on  excellent  authority  that  he  was  a  barb  of  the 
purest  lineage,  and  from  the  very  choicest  of  that 
famous  stock.  He  was  a  small  horse,  about  14.1  hands 
high,  but  of  beautiful  conformation,  black  in  color, 
with  a  small  white  star  in  forehead  and  snip  on  the 
nose.  Grand  Bashaw  was  imported  in  1820  and  died 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1845.  During  the  first  year  that 
Grand  Bashaw  stood  for  service  in  America,  1821,  a 
mare  called  Pearl  was  mated  with  him.  Her  sire 
was  Bond's  First  Consul,  a  running  bred  horse,  that 
was  raced  very  successfully.  His  racing  career  began 
when  he  was  three  years  old.     During  that  season  and 


121 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

the  five  following  ones  he  won  twenty-one  races  with- 
out suffering  a  single  defeat.  He  was  not  beaten  un- 
til the  sixth  season  that  he  was  on  the  turf,  when  in 
his  eight-year-old  form. 

Bond's  First  Consul  was  by  Flag  of  Truce.  His 
dam  was  by  imported  Slender  and  his  second  dam 
was  imported  Dian,  by  the  renowned  English  Eclipse. 
Imported  Slender,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Bond's  First 
Consul,  was  a  brother  in  blood  of  the  famous  High- 
flyer, one  of  the  most  noted  sons  of  the  renowned 
Herod.  Highflyer  was  one  of  the  very  few  horses  that 
was  never  beaten  in  a  race  and  never  paid  forfeit. 
Slender  was  by  Herod  and  his  dam  was  a  full  sister  to 
the  dam  of  Highflyer.  Flag  of  Truce,  the  sire  of 
Bond's  First  Consul,  was  equally  as  well  bred  as  the 
dam  of  the  latter.  His  sire  was  Snap,  a  son  of  Snip, 
by  the  renowned  Flying  Childers.  He  was  also 
strongly  inbred  to  the  famous  Godolphin  Arabian. 
The  dam  of  Pearl  was  by  imported  Messenger,  and  her 
second  dam  was  by  imported  Rockingham. 

Young  Bashaw.  In  1822  Pearl  produced  a  colt- 
foal,  now  known  as  Young  Bashaw,  a  grey  horse 
that  stood  about  15.1  hands  at  maturity,  was  some- 
what angular  in  conformation,  with  a  coarse,  homely 
head  and  neck,  but  excellent  legs  and  feet,  and  a  born 
trotter.  The  excellent  trotting  action  and  remark- 
able speed  for  that  early  day  that  Young  Bashaw 
showed,  induced  breeders  to  mate  about  a  dozen  mares 
with  him  in  1826,  when  in  his  four-year-old  form. 
The  result  was  eight  foals,  and  seven  of  them  showed 
unusual  speed  at  the  trot.     One  of  the  twelve  mated 


122 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

with  him  the  above  season  was  a  stoutly  made,  short- 
legged,  double-gaited  black  mare,  that  both  trotted  and 
paced.  It  was  claimed  that  she  came  from  the  West 
to  Philadelphia  in  a  drove  of  horses  and  it  is  generally 
understood  that  she  was  brought  from  Ohio.  It  is 
more  probable,  however,  that  she  was  raised  in  Penn- 
sylvania at  some  point  west  of  Philadelphia.  It  was 
claimed  at  one  time  that  she  was  by  Why  Not,  a  son 
of  imported  Messenger,  but  that  claim  was  not  sub- 
stantiated. It  is  much  more  probable  that  she  was 
of  Messenger  descent,  however,  than  that  she  came 
from  as  far  West  as  Ohio  at  that  early  day. 

Andrew  Jackson.  In  1827  this  double-gaited  black 
mare  produced  a  black  colt  by  Young  Bashaw.  This 
colt  was  foaled  the  property  of  Mr.  Daniel  Jaffries,  a 
brick  manufacturer  near  Philadelphia.  The  colt  was 
named  Andrew  Jackson,  and  though  not  very  prom- 
ising at  first,  he  became  one  of  the  fastest  trotting 
stallions  of  his  day.  He  won  a  race  of  two  mile  heats 
to  saddle  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  27,  1835,  beat- 
ing Lady  Washington  and  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  in 
5.20,  5.17.  He  could  probably  trot  a  mile  to  saddle 
close  to  2.32  when  in  his  prime. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  the  most  distinguished  of  all 
the  get  of  Young  Bashaw,  and  the  only  one  that 
proved  successful  as  a  speed  perpetuator.  The  most 
noted  of  the  get  of  Andrew  Jackson  were  Kemble 
Jackson  (2.34  to  wagon).  Long  Island  Black  Hawk 
(2.38  to  wagon),  and  Henry  Clay.  Kemble  Jackson 
died  young  and  left  but  few  foals.  None  of  his  get 
ever  took  records  in  standard  time. 


123 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

Long  Island  Black  Hawk.  Long  Island  Black 
Hawk  died  when  but  thirteen  years  old.  His  only 
2.30  trotter  was  Prince  (2.241-2).  Seven  of  the  sons 
of  Long  Island  Black  Hawk  are  found  in  the  Great 
Table  of  Sires  of  2.30  performers  in  the  Year  Book. 
One  of  these  seven  was  Vernol's  Black  Hawk  that 
got  Green's  Bashaw,  founder  of  quite  a  family  of 
trotters,  but  which  is  now  nearly  extinct.  Henry 
Clay's  name  does  not  appear  among  the  trotters  with 
records  in  Chester's  Complete  Trotting  and  Pacing 
Records,  but  as  a  perpetuator  of  trotting  speed  he 
surpassed  all  the  other  sons  of  Andrew  Jackson. 

Henry  Clay.  Henry  Clay,  founder  of  the  Clay 
family  of  trotters,  was  bred  by  George  M.  Patchen 
of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1837.  His  sire  was 
Andrew  Jackson,  by  Young  Bashaw.  His  dam  was 
taken  to  New  York  city  from  the  town  of  Surrey, 
N.  H.  She  was  generally  known  as  the  Surrey  Mare, 
but  was  sometimes  called  Lady  Surrey.  She  was  used 
for  a  time  as  a  saddle  mare  and  it  was  said  that 
she  paced  when  ridden  to  saddle,  but  she  finally  be- 
came quite  a  fast  trotter.  Nothing  whatever  is 
known  of  her  blood  lines  or  her  origin.  Neither  is 
there  any  proof  that  she  was  a  natural  pacer.  Some 
have  pronounced  the  Clay  family  soft,  but,  if  so,  that 
quality  must  have  come  from  the  Surrey  Mare. 

Henry  Clay  was  black  in  color,  with  a  white  cres- 
cent or  half  moon  in  the  forehead,  between  the  eyes, 
and  one  white  foot  behind.  It  is  stated  upon  good 
authority  that  he  stood  about  15.1  hands  at  maturity. 
He  had  a  good-sized  head,  and  his  large,  pleasant  eyes 
gave  him  an  intelligent,  attractive  countenance.     His 


124 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

ears  were  of  moderate  length,  but  the  distance  be- 
tween them  was  greater  than  that  of  the  average  highly 
bred  horses.  His  neck  was  of  medium  length  and  well 
set  upon  oblique  shoulders.  He  was  deep  through  the 
lungs  and  heart,  and  had  a  strong,  well-ribbed,  round 
barrel  of  good  length.  His  back  was  rather  long  and 
his  coupling  extended  farther  back  towards  the  roots 
of  his  tail  than  that  of  the  founders  of  most  of  the 
other  trotting  families.  His  hips  were  of  good  length 
and  his  rump  somewhat  steep  and  drooping.  His  legs 
were  clean  and  strong,  his  joints  sound  and  firm  and 
his  feet  excellent,  but  his  hind  leg  was  shaped  some- 
what after  the  sickle  formation.  He  was  a  horse  of 
good  substance,  and  his  bone  was  of  the  dense,  ivory- 
like texture  which  horsemen  admire.  He  was  a  good- 
gaited,  natural  trotter  and  an  untiring  roadster.  He 
was  considered  a  promising  trotter  when  young  and 
it  is  stated  upon  good  authority  that  in  his  early  days 
he  was  handled  some  for  speed. 

In  1845  Mr.  Patchen  sold  Henry  Clay  to  General 
Wadsworth  of  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.  The  price,  if 
we  rememeber  correctly,  was  one  dollar  a  pound,  and 
the  weight  of  the  horse  one  thousand  pounds.  Gen- 
eral Wadsworth  owned  the  horse  for  several  years  and 
allowed  him  to  stand  for  public  service  at  various 
places.  In  1854  he  became  the  property  of  Bailey 
Brothers  of  Bristol,  N.  Y.  The  horse  was  also  at  Bris- 
tol some  during  the  seasons  of  1845,  1846  and  1847. 
He  was  blind  for  several  years  previous  to  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1867. 

Henry  Clay  did  not  make  a  great  showing  as  a  sire 
of  2.30   performers.     He   is   credited   with   only   two 


125 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

trotters  that  took  records  in  standard  time.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  he  was  always  kept 
in  New  York  State,  and  that  Mambrino  Chief  did  stud 
service  there  seven  seasons  without  getting  a  single 
standard  performer.  In  addition  to  the  trotters  Black 
Douglass  (2.30)  and  Jericho  (2.30),  Henry  Clay  also 
got  Centreville  (trotting  record  to  wagon  2.31),  and 
Andy  Johnson    (2.32). 

Three  sons  of  Henry  Clay  are  found  in  the  Great 
Table  in  the  Year  Book.  They  are  Andy  Johnson, 
Cassius  M.  Clay  and  Henry  Clay,  Jr.  His  daughters 
produced  six  trotters  that  took  records  in  standard 
time,  the  fastest  of  which  was  the  renowned  trotting 
sire  George  Wilkes  (2.22).  The  only  one  of  the  sons 
of  Henry  Clay  through  which  the  family  is  now  being 
perpetuated  is  Cassius  M.  Clay,  whose  registered  num- 
ber is  eighteen. 

Cassius  M.  Clay.  Cassius  M.  Clay  was  a  dark 
bay  horse  of  powerful  build,  not  far  from  sixteen 
hands  high.  He  was  bred  by  Joseph  Oliver,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1843.  His  dam  was  a  15.3  hand, 
spirited  bay,  known  as  Jersey  Kate.  It  was  claimed 
at  one  time  that  she  was  by  Mambrino,  son  of  im- 
ported Messenger,  but  the  claim  was  not  substan- 
tiated. She  possessed  unusual  merit,  however,  if  her 
breeding  is  unknown,  for  before  being  mated  with 
Henry  Clay  she  produced  the  trotter  John  Anderson 
(2.41).  Cassius  M.  Clay  was  bought  by  Mr.  George 
M.  Patchen  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  who  kept  him  for 
stock  purposes  in  New  York  State  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  July,  1854,  when  the  horse  was 
eleven  years  old.     Although  he  showed  good  trotting 


126 


THE    CLAY    FAMILY. 

action  and  probably  considerable  speed  for  his  day^ 
he  was  not  credited  with  a  record.  Eight  of  his  get 
were  raced  some,  but  he  is  credited  with  only  one  in 
the  2.30  list.  That  one,  however,  George  M.  Patchen 
(2.23  1-2),  was  one  of  the  greatest  trotters  of  his  day. 
Nine  of  the  sons  of  Cassins  M.  Clay  sired  trotters  that 
made  records  in  standard  time,  and  his  daughters  pro- 
duced one  trotter  that  took  a  record  of  just  2.30. 

George  M.  Patchen  (2.231-2).  The  fastest  of  the 
^t  of  Cassius  M.  Clay  was  the  famous  trotting  stallion 
George  M.  Patchen,  that  lowered  the  world's  champion 
trotting  stallion  record  to  2.23  1-2.  George  M.  Patch- 
en was  foaled  in  1849  and  won  his  first  race  in  1854, 
taking  a  record  of  2.41.  In  1859  he  won  eight  races, 
beating  some  famous  trotters,  including  Lancet,  and 
took  a  record  of  2.25  1-4.  In  1860  he  beat  Ethan  Allen 
(2.25  1-2)  twice,  and  also  beat  the  famous  Flora  Tem- 
ple (2.19  3-4)  twice.  The  latter  beat  him  nine  times 
that  season,  however,  although  in  one  of  the  nine  he 
won  a  heat  from  her  in  2.23  1-2,  the  fastest  ever  won 
by  a  trotting  stallion  up  to  that  time.  He  was  cam- 
paigned four  seasons  in  all,  viz. :  1857,  1859,  1860, 
1863.  and  won  twenty  races. 

The  Clay  family  has  been  denounced  by  some  as 
quitters;  George  M.  Patchen,  however,  won  the  ad- 
miration of  all  horsmen  by  his  unflinching  gameness 
and  great  endurance.  Many  of  his  races  were  against 
Flora  Temple  (2.19  3-4),  the  champion  trotter  of  her 
day,  and  though  she  beat  him  in  the  majority  of  them, 
he  was  never  accused  of  not  trying  to  beat  her  at  every 
stage  of  the  game.     The  greatest  reinsman  and  best 


127 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

authority  of  his  day,  Hiram  Woodruff,  said  of  George 
M.  Patchen  in  his  Trotting  Horse  of  America: 

There  had  not  been  another  horse  that  had  been  so  close 
to  Flora  Temple  herself  in  speed,  in  ability  to  stay  a  dis- 
tance, and  in  apparent  endurance  and  capacity  to  keep  at  it 
race  after  race  as  George  M.  Patchen.  He  beat  her  more 
heats  than  any  other  horse,  and  most  of  the  heats  in  which 
she  beat  him  were  very  fast  and  close.  He  met  her,  too,  at 
the  golden  prime  of  her  life,  when  she  had  just  reached  the 
full  maturity  of  her  extraordinary  power. 

George  M.  Patchen  was  foaled  in  1849  and  died  May 
1,  1864.  He  was  a  brown  horse,  strong,  sixteen  hands 
high,  of  powerful  conformation,  a  trifle  coarse  about 
the  head,  and  heavy  in  the  carcass,  but  a  slashing  gait- 
ed,  honest,  reliable  trotter.  His  dam  was  by  a  running 
bred  colt  called  Head'em.  The  latter  was  by  imported 
Trustee,  and  his  dam  was  Itasca,  by  the  noted  four- 
mile  race  winner,  American  Eclipse.  The  second  dam 
of  Head^em  was  Betsey  Ransom,  by  Virginian,  a  son 
of  Sir  Archy.  Four  of  the  get  of  George  M.  Patchen 
made  trotting  records  in  standard  time.  The  fastest 
of  these  was  Lucy  (2.181-4).  He  is  credited  with 
fourteen  sons  that  sired  sixty-one  trotters  and  two 
pacers  with  records  in  standard  time;  also  with  four 
daughters  that  produced  four  trotters  and  one  pacer 
with  standard  records.  His  most  successful  sons  as 
sires  of  speed  were  Seneca  Patchen,  George  M.  Patch- 
en, Jr.  (2.27),  and  Godfrey  Patchen. 

Neaves'  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.  The  most  successful 
son  of  Cassius  M.  Clay  as  a  perpetuator  of  speed  was 
Neaves'  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.,  whose  registered  number 
is  twenty.  He  was  a  brown  horse,  bred  by  Charles 
Mitchell,  Manhassett,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1858.     His 


128 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

dam  was  by  Chancellor  and  Chancellor  was  by  Mam- 
brino,  son  of  imported  Messenger,  his  dam  being  a 
daughter  of  imported  Messenger.  The  second  dam  of 
Neaves'  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.,  was  by  Engineer  2d,  he 
by  Engineer,  a  son  of  imported  Messenger.  Engineer 
2d  got  the  renowned  Lady  Suffolk  (2.291-2).  It  ap- 
pears that  Neaves'  Cassius  M.  Clay  inherited  four 
crosses  of  imported  Messenger,  three  through  his  dam 
and  one  through  Young  Bashaw.  Neaves'  Cassius  M. 
Clay  got  four  trotters  that  took  standard  records  and 
four  of  his  sons  were  sires  of  standard  performers. 
The  most  noted  of  his  sons  as  perpetuators  of  speed 
were  Clay  Pilot  and  Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29).  Clay 
Pilot  was  bred  by  Colonel  James  Morgan  of  Cincin- 
nati, O.,  and  foaled  in  1862.  In  Wallace's  American 
Trotting  Register  the  dam  of  Clay  Pilot  is  given  as  "a 
catch  filly,  sire  unknown;  second  dam  Kate  (grandam 
of  Almont)  by  Pilot,  Jr.,  son  of  old  Pacing  Pilot." 
There  is  pretty  strong  evidence,  however,  that  the  dam 
of  Clay  Pilot  was  by  old  Pacing  Pilot,  the  sire 
of  Pilot,  eTr. ;  second  dam  by  Grey  Eagle,  a 
running-bred  son  of  Woodpecker,  by  Bertrand; 
and  third  dam  by  Bertrand,  son  of  Sir  Archy. 
There  is  but  slight  doubt  that  Kate,  the  grandam 
of  Almont,  was  from  a  daughter  of  Grey  Eagle. 
The  wires  seem  to  be  crossed  in  this  pedigree, 
as  given  by  the  register  and  the  man  who  bred  Clay 
Pilot.  The  latter,  however,  should  be  the  better  au- 
thority. Clay  Pilot  was  a  fast  natural  trotter.  He 
got  three  that  made  records  in  standard  time,  two  of 
which  were  trotters.     He  left  one  son,  however.  The 


129 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Moor  (2.37),  that  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  sires 
of  uniform  trotting  speed  of  his  day. 

The  Moor.  The  Moor  was  foaled  in  1867  and  died 
in  1875.  His  dam,  Belle  of  Wabash,  trotting  record 
2.40,  was  running  bred,  and  is  so  registered  in  Vol.  6 
of  Bruce's  American  Stud  Book,  Page  1,077.  Her  sire 
was  Young  Bassinger,  by  Lieutenant  Bassinger,  and 
her  dam  was  William  The  IV.  mare.  It  is  stated  upon 
good  authority  that  The  Moor  got  but  fifty-one  foals  In 
all,  and  six  of  them  made  trotting  records  of  2.30  or 
better.  The  three  most  noted  of  these  were  the  stal- 
lion's Sultan  (2.24)  and  Del  Sur  (2.24)  and  the  famous 
brood  mare  Beautiful  Bells  (2.291-2).  The  latter  is 
the  dam  of  eleven  trotters  that  made  records  from 
2.12  3-4  to  2.29  1-2,  two  of  which  made  yearling  rec- 
ords respectively  of  2.26  1-4  and  2.23. 

The  Moor  is  credited  with  three  sons  that  are  sires 
and  ten  daughters  that  are  producers  of  standard 
performers.  His  ten  daughters  have  produced  twenty- 
five  trotters  and  one  pacer  that  have  made  records  in 
standard  time.  The  most  successful  of  his  sons  is 
Sultan  (2.24)  and  Sultan's  dam  was  strong  in  the 
blood  of  imported  Messenger.  She  was  by  Delmonico, 
whose  sire,  Guy  Miller,  was  by  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian,  and  whose  dam,  the  Adams  mare,  was  also  by 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  from  a  daughter  of  im- 
ported Bellfounder,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian. The  second  dam  of  Sultan  was  Celeste,  by 
Mambrino  Chief,  and  third  dam,  Big  Nora,  by  Down- 
ing's  Bay  Messenger,  a  son  of  Harpinus,  by  Bishop's 
Hambletonian  by  imported  Messenger.  Sultan  is 
credited  with  forty-two  trotters  and  ten  pacers  that 


130 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

bave  made  standard  records  with  twenty-four  sons 
that  have  sired  ninety-two  trotters  and  eighteen  pacers 
with  standard  records;  also  with  thirty -two  daughters 
that  hiive  produced  thirty-five  trotters  and  nine  pacers 
that  have  riade  records  in  standard  time. 

Stamboul  (2.071-2).  The  fastest  trotter  and  most 
successful  sire  of  speed  got  by  Sultan  was  Stamboul, 
that  trotted  a  mile  in  2.07  1-2  against  time,  in  an  ef- 
fort to  beat  2.08  at  Stockton,  California,  November  23, 
1891.  The  performance  was  not  accepted  as  a  record, 
however,  by  the  Register  Association,  as  some  of  the 
rules  of  that  organization  were  not  complied  with. 
The  2.07  1-2  stands  as  a  record,  however,  on  the  books 
of  the  National  and  American  Trotting  Associations. 
Stamboul  was  the  fastest  trotter  that  traces  directly 
in  the  paternal  line  to  Henry  Clay.  The  dam  of 
Stamboul  (2.07 1-2)  was  Fleetwing,  by  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  and  she  also  produced  the  trotting 
mare  Ruby  (2.19  3-4).  Stamboul's  second  dam  was 
Patchen  Maid,  by  George  M.  Patchen  (2.231-2),  mak- 
ing him  inbred  to  the  Clay  strain.  The  third  da^ri 
of  Stamboul  was  by  old  Abdallah,  sire  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  It  will  be  seen  from  this  that  Stam 
boul  derived  a  much  stronger  inheritance  from  import- 
ed Messenger  than  from  any  other  source.  His  ped- 
igree shows  four  crosses  of  old  Abdallah,  and  three  of 
them  were  through  Abdallah's  most  famous  son,  Rys- 
dyk's Hambletonian.  He  had  a  stronger  and  closer 
inheritance  from  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  than  from 
Henry  Clay,  yet  as  he  is  a  direct  descendant  in  the  pa- 
ternal line  of  Henry  Clay,  he  is  very  properly  credited 
to  the  Clay  family,  and  is  its  "bright,  particular  star." 


131 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Stamboul  (2.07  1-2)  was  not  only  the  fastest  of  the 
Clay  family,  but  was  also  its  handsomest  represen- 
tative. He  was  a  beautifully  proportioned,  smoothly 
turned,  well  finished  horse,  a  seal  brown  in  color,  and 
stood  15.3  hands  high.  He  was  foaled  in  California 
in  1882,  and  died  the  property  of  E.  H.  Harriman,  at 
Goshen,  N.  Y.,  August  17,  1901.  He  is  the  sire  of 
forty-five  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time,  all 
trotters.  He  is  credited  with  sixteen  sons  that  have 
sired  thirty-two  trotters  and  five  pacers,  which  have 
made  records  in  standard  time;  also  with  nine  daugh- 
ters that  have  produced  ten  trotters  which  have  made 
standard  records. 

Sayre^s  Harry  Clay  (2.29).  Although  Clay  Pilot, 
with  the  aid  of  Belle  of  Wabash  (2.40)  and  Kysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  has  to  his  credit  the  fastest  trotter  that 
traces  in  the  direct  paternal  line  to  Henry  Clay,  there 
was  another  son  of  Neave's  Cassius  M.  Clay  that  was 
a  faster  trotter  than  Clay  Pilot,  and  also  gained  dis- 
tinction as  a  perpetuator  of  speed.  This  was  Sayre's 
Harry  Clay  (2.29),  whose  dam.  Fan,  was  by  imported 
Bellfounder,  Fan  was  a  full  sister  of  the  stallion 
Crabtree  Bellfounder.  Harry  Clay  was  foaled  in  New 
Jersey  in  1853,  and  died  at  Middletown,  Orange  coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  in  1887.  He  was  a  large  black  horse  with 
four  white  feet  and  made  a  record  of  2.29  at  Chicago, 
111.,  July  9,  1864.  He  was  raced  some  for  five  seasons 
and  according  to  Chester's  Complete  Trotting  and 
Pacing  Kecords  won  twelve  races  in  all.  Four  of  his 
get  made  trotting  records  from  2.19  to  2.29  3-4.  He  is 
credited  with  fifteen  sons  that  have  sired  standard 
performers,  the  most  successful  of  which  was  King 

132 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

Clay,  sire  of  eleven  trotters  with  records  of  2.30  or  bet- 
ter, one  of  which  is  Clay  King  (2.27  3-4),  sire  of  ten 
standard  performers,  nine  of  which  are  trotters,  in- 
cluding The  King   (2.101-2). 

Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29)  gained  his  greatest  dis- 
tinction as  a  brood  mare  sire.  He  is  credited  with 
twenty-six  daughters  that  have  produced  forty-four 
trotters  and  two  pacers  which  have  made  records  in 
standard  time.  His  most  noted  daughter  as  a  pro- 
ducer was  the  renowned  Green  Mountain  Maid,  the 
dam  of  nine  trotters,  with  records  of  2.30  or  better. 
Four  of  the  sons  of  Green  Mountain  Maid  are  sires 
of  standard  speed,  and  one  of  them  was  the  famous 
Electioneer,  the  sire  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five 
trotters  that  are  credited  by  the  National  and  Ameri- 
can Trotting  Associations  with  records  of  2.30  or  bet- 
ter. Some  of  the  fastest  trotters  produced  by  daugh- 
ters of  Say  re's  Harry  Clay  are  Masetto  (2.081-4), 
Harrietta  (2.09  3-4),  St.  Julien  (2.111-4),  and  Bellini 
(2.131-4). 

Other  Clay  Stallions.  Several  other  sons  of  Cas- 
sius  M.  Clay  besides  Neave's  gained  distinction  as  sires 
of  standard  speed  and  some  of  them  were  quite  suc- 
cessful as  perpetuators.  Amos'  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr., 
by  Cassius  M.  Clay,  got  the  noted  trotter,  American 
Girl  (2.161-2),  a  formidable  rival  of  Lucy  (2.181-4), 
Lady  Thorn  (2.18  1-4) ,  and  even  of  the  renowned  Gold 
smith  Maid  (2.14).  She  beat  the  latter  fairly  seven 
times  during  the  seasons  from  1868  to  1872.  She  won 
in  ail  fifty-two  races  and  is  credited  with  one  hundred 
and  fifty  winning  heats  in  2.30  or  better.  American 
Girl  was  the  only  2.30  trotter  that  Amos'  Cassius  M. 


133 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Clay,  Jr.,  ever  got,  and  only  one  of  his  sons  ever  sired 
a  standard  performer. 

Strader's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.  Strader's  Cassius 
M.  Clay,  Jr.,  by  Cassius  M.  Clay,  was  quite  popular  as 
a  sire  and  was  something  of  a  trotter  himself.  He 
won  a  few  races  and  made  a  record  of  2.35  1-4.  He 
also  sired  four  trotters  that  made  records  in  standard 
time.  His  trotting  inheritance  was  far  superior  to 
that  of  George  M.  Patchen  (2.23  1-2) .  His  dam  was  by 
Old  Abdallah,  the  sire  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 
His  second  dam  was  by  Lawrence's  Eclipse,  a  son  of 
the  old  four-mile  running  race  winner,  American 
Eclipse,  and  his  third  dam  was  the  Charles  Hadley 
mare  by  imported  Messenger.  Strader's  Cassius  M. 
Clay,  Jr.,  was  owned  several  of  the  last  years  of  his 
life  by  Gen.  W.  T.  Withers,  and  did  service  at  the  noted 
Fairlawn  Farm,  Lexington,  Ky.  He  was  foaled  in 
1852  and  died  at  Fairlawn  in  1882.  He  received  a 
better  class  of  trotting  bred  mares  and  left  a  larger 
number  of  foals  than  any  other  son  of  Cassius  M.  Clay. 
The  fastest  of  his  get  was  Durango  (2.23  3-4).  The 
dam  of  Durango  was  Mattie  West,  dam  of  McMahon 
(2.21)  by  Almont;  second  dam  Monogram  by  Mam- 
brino  Chief. 

Durango.  Durango  is  credited  with  eighteen  that 
made  standard  records,  all  trotters;  with  seven  sons 
that  sired  thirteen  trotters  and  two  pacers  which  have 
made  standard  records;  also  sixteen  daughters  that 
have  produced  twenty-two  trotters  and  six  pacers  with 
standard  records.  The  Rodes  mare,  dam  of  Lady 
Thorn   (2.18 1-4)   and  Herr's  Mambrino  Patchen,  was 


134 


THE    CLAY    FAMILY. 

mated  with  Strader's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.,  and  the  re- 
sult was  Kentucky  Clay,  that  got  the  great  brood  mare 
Flaxy,  dam  of  Blondine  (2.24  3-4),  Autograph 
(2.161-2),  etc.  Autograph  is  the  sire  of  fifteen  trot- 
ters with  standard  records,  one  of  which  is  Authoress 
(2.091-4).  A  daughter  of  Autograph  produced  the 
noted  trotter,  Major  Delmar  (1.59  3-4).  The  name  of 
the  Rodes  Mare  is  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  a  greater 
number  of  2.10  trotters  and  pacers  than  that  of  any  of 
the  other  great  brood  mares  ever  produced.  Fully  one- 
third  of  all  the  2.10  trotters  are  descendants  of  this 
wonderful  daughter  of  the  thoroughbred  Gano.  She 
was  once  mated  with  the  thoroughbred,  imported  Con- 
sternation, and  the  produce.  Consolation,  was  the 
fourth  dam  of  the  trotter  William  Penn  (2.07  1-4),  the 
fastest  of  the  get  of  Santa  Claus  (2.17  1-2). 

American  Clay.  American  Clay  is  another  son  of 
Strader's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  that  has  gained  consider- 
able notoriety,  especially  for  transmitting  to  his  daugh- 
ters the  ability  to  perpetuate  speed.  The  dam  of 
American  Clay  was  by  imported  Tranby;  second  dam 
by  Aratus,  a  running  bred  son  of  Director,  by  Sir 
Archy;  third  dam  by  Josephus,  a  running  bred  son 
of  Rob  Roy,  by  Sir  Archy ;  and  fourth  dam  by  Eaton's 
Columbus,  another  son  of  Sir  Archy.  American  Clay 
got  three  trotters  that  made  standard  records  and 
three  of  his  sons  have  sired  standard  speed.  One  of 
these  was  Magic,  that  got  the  big  game  trotting  mare 
Clemmie  G.  (2.15  1-2),  owned  at  one  time  by  Mr. 
George  Fabyan  of  this  city. 


135 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

The  fame  of  American  Clay  is  greatest  as  a  brood 
mare  sire.  His  daughters  have  proved  very  success- 
ful, both  as  producers  of  speed  and  of  successful  sires 
of  speed.  They  are  now  credited  with  forty  trotters 
and  five  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records.  The 
fastest  of  the  produce  of  his  daughters  is  David  B. 
(2.091-4).  Among  the  successful  sires  produced  by 
daughters  of  American  Clay  are  Sir  Walter,  Jr. 
(2.181-4),  sire  of  Alcidalia  (2.101-4),  etc.;  Ambassa- 
dor (2.211-4),  sire  of  fifty  trotters  and  nineteen 
pacers  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time;  and 
Nelson's  Wilkes,  sire  of  forty  trotters  and  seven 
pacers  that  have  made  records  from  2.07  1-4  to  2.30, 
one  of  which  was  St.  Croix  (2.14  3-4),  sire  of  Anidrosis 
(2.051-4),  the  fastest  performer  ever  bred  in  Maine. 
A  daughter  of  American  Clay  produced  the  dam  of 
Col.  H.  S.  KusselFs  noted  stallion  Edgemark  (4) 
(2.16),  the  first  trotting  stallion  to  take  so  fast  a 
four-year-old  record  as  2.16.  Edgemark  is  the  sire  of 
Miss  Whitney  (2.071-2).  The  dam  of  Victor  Von 
Bismarck,  Edgemark's  sire,  was  by  Sayre's  Harry  Clay 
(2.29).  The  latter  was  the  most  successful  brood 
mare  sire  in  the  Clay  family,  but  American  Clay  is  a 
close  second. 

Gen.  Hatch.  Gen.  Hatch  is  another  son  of  Stra- 
der's  Cassius  M.  Clay  that  has  gained  some  fame  as  a 
sire  and  perpetuator  of  speed.  His  dam  was  by  im- 
ported Envoy  and  his  second  dam  by  imported 
Tranby.  He  was  the  sire  of  two  trotters  with 
records  of  2.28.  The  dam  of  these  two  trotters  was 
Dolly  and  her  sire  was  Iowa,  a  running  bred  son  of 
imported   Glencoe.     A   daughter  of  Gen.   Hatch  that 


136 


THE    CLAY   FAMILY. 

was  from  this  same  Dolly,  by  Iowa,  produced  the  dam 
of  the  noted  world's  champion  trotter  Alix  (2.03  3-4). 
The  dam  of  the  fast  game  trotter  Dr.  Strong  (2.07  1-2) 
was  by  Gould's  Clay,  a  son  of  Neave's  Cassius  M.  Clay, 
Jr.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  three  most 
successful  sons  of  George  M.  Patchen  (2.23 1-2)  as 
Bires  of  standard  speed  were  Seneca  Patchen,  George 
M.  Patchen,  Jr.  (2.27),  sometimes  called  California 
Patchen,  and  Godfrey  Patchen.  Neither  of  these  three 
sons  showed  sufficient  speed  perpetuating  ability  to 
found  a  family  of  trotters.  It  may,  however,  have 
been  lack  of  opportunity,  rather  than  ability,  that  pre- 
vented them  from  doing  so.  George  M.  Patchen,  Jr. 
(2.27),  apparently  possessed  greater  perpetuating 
ability  than  either  of  the  other  two  named.  He  is 
credited  with  ten  that  made  standard  records,  all  trot- 
ters. He  is  also  credited  with  eleven  sons  that  have 
sired  standard  speed.  The  whole  number  of  standard 
performers  got  by  these  eleven  sons  is  twenty-five  trot 
ters  and  three  pacers.  The  best  of  these  eleven  sires 
are  Alexander  and  Sam  Purdy  (2.20  1-2). 

George  M.  Patchen^  Jr.  The  dam  of  George  M 
Patchen,  Jr.  (2.27),  was  by  Top  Bellfounder,  a  son 
of  imported  Bellfounder.  The  dam  of  Alexander  was 
by  Brown's  Bellfounder,  another  son  of  imported  Bell- 
founder, making  Alexander  inbred  to  the  Bellfounder 
strain.  Alexander  got  six  trotters  that  took  standard 
records  and  three  of  his  sons  are  found  in  the  Great 
Table  of  sires.  The  best  of  these  is  Alexander  But- 
ton (2.261-2),  the  sire  of  fifteen  trotters  and  eight 
pacers  with  standard  records.  The  dam  of  Alexander 
Button  was  by  Napa  Rattler.     It  looks  now  as  though 


137 


THE    AMERICAX    TROTTER. 

that  branch  of  the  family  would  end  with  Alexander 
Button  or  his  son,  Gen.  Logan. 

The  George  M.  Patchen,  Jr.,  cross  is  found  in  a  num- 
ber of  fast  performers.  He  got  the  second  dam  of 
the  world's  champion  double-gaited  performer,  Ana- 
conda (2.013-4)  pacing,  2.09  3-4  trotting.  Tuna,  that 
trotted  to  a  record  of  2.09  1-2  in  a  winning  race  at  the 
recent  Grand  Circuit  meeting  at  Keadville,  is  by  Jamei 
Madison,  whose  sire  was  Anteeo  (2.16  1-2)  and  whose 
dam,  Lucy  Patchen,  was  by  George  M.  Patchen,  Jr. 
(2.27). 

Sam  Purdy.  The  best  son  of  George  M.  Patchen, 
Jr.,  as  a  sire  was  Sam  Purdy,  race  record  2.20  1-2,  and 
he  was  also  the  best  campaigner  got  by  his  sire.  The 
dam  of  Sam  Purdy  was  Whiskey  Jane,  by  Roy's  Me- 
doc,  a  son  of  the  successful  thoroughbred  race  horse 
and  sire,  Medoc,  by  American  Eclipse.  Sam  Purdy 
was  the  sire  of  seven  trotters  and  two  pacers  that 
have  made  records  in  standard  time,  the  fastest  of 
which  is  Miss  Woodford  (2.09  3-4).  None  of  his  sons 
appear  in  the  Great  Table  of  sires  of  standard  per- 
formers, but  his  daughters  have  produced  seven  with 
standard  records. 

Andy  Johnson.  Many  other  stallions  of  the  Clay 
family,  besides  those  named,  have  attained  some  de- 
gree of  success  as  sires,  but  as  we  are  dealing  with  the 
principal  trotting  families,  rather  than  individuals,  it 
is  not  necessary  to  describe  them  all.  One  of  those 
not  mentioned  above  was  Andy  Johnson,  by  Old  Henrj 
Clay.  Andy  Johnson  got  the  great  brood  mare  Hattie 
R.,  the  dam  of  seven  trotters  that  have  made  record! 
of  2.30  or  better,  also  the  dam  of  one  sire  of  standard 


138 


THE    CLAY    FAMILY. 

speed.     Spink,  a  son  of  Andy  Johnson,  got  the  noted 
plow  horse  Captain  Lewis   (2.201-2). 

It  is  claimed  that  Old  Henry  Clay  was  a  very  fa- 
mous roadster  in  his  day,  and  many  of  his  descendants 
have  been  distinguished  for  superior  road  qualities. 
Many  of  the  family  have  been  noted  for  bold  trotting 
action.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  descendants  of 
the  noted  brood  mare  sire,  Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29). 
The  Clay  family  has  a  longer  line  of  developed  trotting 
inheritance  than  any  of  the  others,  yet  this  family  has 
been  almost  completely  swallowed  up  and  its  best  qual- 
ities absorbed  by  the  Hambletonian  family,  and  in  the 
near  future  it  will  be  known  only  in  equine  history. 
The  best  stallions  in  that  family,  as  has  already 
been  shown,  have  inherited  much  more  of  the  blood 
of  imported  Messenger  than  of  imported  Grand  Ba- 
shaw, and  those  that  in  recent  years  have  been  most 
successful  as  sires,  though  tracing  direct  to  Henry 
Clay  in  the  paternal  line,  have  been  much  more  close- 
ly related  to  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  than  to  Henry 
Clay. 


139 


Chapter  VI. 
THE  MORGAN  FAMILY. 


Justin  Morgan. — Sherman  Morgan. — ^Vermont  Black  Hawk. — 
Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2). — Daniel  Lambert. — General  Knox. 

The  Morgan  Family.  The  trotting  family  that  is 
generally  regarded  as  fourth  in  importance  and  rank 
is  that  branch  of  the  Morgan  family  that  sprang 
from  Vermont  Black  Hawk,  sometimes  called  Hill's 
Black  Hawk,  and  registered  in  the  American  Trot- 
ting Register  as  Black  Hawk  5.  He  was  a  grandson 
of  the  famous  horse,  Justin  Morgan.  Less  is  generally 
known  by  the  average  horseman  and  by  the  majority  of 
students  of  the  breeding  problem  concerning  the  origin 
and  ancestors  of  the  horse  Justin  Morgan  than  of  the 
founders  of  either  of  the  other  trotting  families. 

Justin  Morgan.  Statements  in  regard  to  the  origin 
and  blood  lines  of  Justin  Morgan  have  been  so  numer- 
ous and  conflicting  as  to  confuse  many  who  have  not 
taken  the  time  to  investigate  and  compare  them.  To 
sift  these  statements  and  glean  from  them  the  real 
facts  is  no  small  task.  To  present  all  of  them  would 
require  more  space  than  can  be  spared.  The  first  man 
to  make  a  persistent  effort  to  collect  the  facts  in  regard 


140 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY, 

to  this  horse  and  present  them  to  the  public  was 
D.  C.  Linsley,  then  a  resident  of  Middlebury,  Vt.  The 
result  of  his  efforts  was  a  book  entitled  ''Morgan's 
Horses,"  published  in  1856.  Mr.  Linsley  was  an  hon- 
est, conscientious  man  and  secured  much  valuable  in- 
formation, part  of  which  was  original — and  from  par- 
ties whose  statements  were  based  on  their  own  person- 
al knowledge  or  on  information  given  them  verbally 
by  trustworthy  men  who  had  personal  knowledge  of 
the  facts  communicated — and  the  rest  from  articles 
gleaned  from  reliable  publications.  After  weighing 
the  statements  carefully,  Mr.  Linsley  reached  the  con- 
clusion that  the  horse  Justin  Morgan  was  bred  in  the 
vicinity  of  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  was  taken 
to  Randolph,  Vt.,  by  a  Mr.  Justin  Morgan  who  for- 
merly lived  at  West  Springfield,  and  that  the 
sire  of  this  horse  was  True  Briton,  also  known  as 
Beautiful  Bay. 

There  are  some,  even  at  this  late  day,  who  are  not 
acquainted  with  all  the  facts,  that  believe  the  horse 
Justin  Morgan  originated  in  Canada.  They  get  this 
idea  from  a  letter  dated  Sherbrook,  P.  Q.  (then  Lower 
Canada),  August,  1841,  and  written  by  a  Mr.  Geo. 
Barnard,  to  the  publishers  of  the  Albany  Cultivator, 
an  excellent  agricultural  publication,  then  Issued 
monthly  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  A  part  of  this  letter  is  as 
follows : 

For  the  last  dozen  years,  being  aware,  both  by  observation 
and  experiment,  of  the  surprising  results  of  crossing  the 
Canadian  with  other  breeds  of  horses,  and  having  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  vast  variety  and  different  qualities  of 
various  races  in  the  Canadian  breed,  I  have  believed  that  the 


141 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

original  Morgan  horse  was  of  French  Canadian  origin.  This 
opinion  being  confirmed  by  the  accounts  here  given,  I  am 
anxious  to  ascertain  whether  any  one  can  prove  it  erroneous, 
and,  if  not,  to  make  it  public,  that  it  may  be  known  that 
thousands  of  horses  may  be  obtained  in  French  Canada  of 
the  same  blood  and  not  inferior  in  qualities  to  the  Morgan 
whose  existence  added  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  to 
the  wealth  of  Vermont. 

Mr.  Barnard's  letter  was  accompanied  by  an  affi- 
davit of  one  John  Stearns,  to  the  effect  that  some  thir- 
ty-seven years  previously,  when  he  was  a  boy  about 
thirteen  years  old,  or  about  1804,  he  heard  somebody 
say  that  the  Morgan  horse  had  just  been  brought 
from  Montreal,  Canada,  by  Mr.  Justin  Morgan,  etc., 
etc.  The  town  records  show  that  Mr.  Justin  Morgan 
died  in  1798,  or  six  years  previous  to  the  time  when 
John  Stearns  claimed  to  have  seen  the  horse  which 
he  heard  some  one  say  Justin  Morgan  had  just  brought 
from  Montreal.  Mr.  Barnard  frankly  admits  that  his 
object  in  claiming  that  the  Morgan  horse  originated 
in  Canada  was  to  make  a  demand  for  Canadian  horses. 
It  is  not  probable  that  he  had  ever  examined  a  gen- 
uine descendant  of  the  original  Morgan  horse  at  the 
time  he  wrote  the  letter  from  which  the  above  was 
quoted.  In  fact,  it  is  very  certain  that  he  had  not, 
for  under  date  of  October  25,  1841,  he  wrote  to  the 
Albany  Cultivator  in  regard  to  the  Morgan  horse  as 
follows : 

In  my  communication  on  this  subject,  published  in  the  late 
October  number,  I  have  expressed  too  confident  an  opinion 
in  saying  I  believed  the  original  horse  (Morgan)  was  of 
French  Canadian  origin.  I  have  recently  had  some  acquain- 
tance with  a  Morgan  horse  endowed  with  all  the  peculiarities 
of  the   breed;    sufficient   to  make   me   forbear   any   decided 


142 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

opinion  on  the  point  in  question,  until  very  clear  evidence  is 
adduced.  The  affidavit  which  I  furnished  is  only  probable 
and  not  conclusive  testimony  that  the  original  horse  was  of 
French  Norman  descent,  and  procured  in  Montreal. 

This  second  letter  of  Mr.  Barnard  was  written  short- 
ly after  his  first  one,  accompanied  by  the  aflSdavit,  was 
published.     It  is  quite  evident  from  this  second  letter 
that  Mr.  Barnard  placed  little  confidence  in  the  erro- 
neous affidavit  of  Stearns,  and  had  learned  from  experi- 
ence that  the  characteristics  of  the  genuine  Morgan 
were  very  different  from  those  of  the  Canadians,  which 
bore  some  resemblance  to  the  Morgan  in  size  and  con- 
formation, but  were  decidedly  unlike  them  in  tempera- 
ment, style,  gait  and  road  qualities,  as  all  of  us  know 
who  had  experience  with  both  the  Morgans  and  Cana- 
dians to  saddle  and  harness  on  New  England  roads 
fifty  years  ago.     The  letter  of  Mr.  Barnard  and  affi- 
davit which  accompanied  it  brought  a  positive  and 
emphatic   denial   of  the  statements   which   they   con- 
tained,  from   several   trustworthy   parties   who   were 
knowing  to  the  facts  concerning  the  origin  of  the  horse 
in  question  and  his  introduction  into  Vermont.     One 
of  those  who  flatly  contradicted  the  statement  was 
John  Morgan,  a  son  of  the  man  who  took  the  hoi*se 
from  the  Connecticut  River  valley  to  Vermont.     We 
have  been  led  to  mention  Mr.  Barnard's  letter  and  the 
erroneous  affidavit  of  John  Stearns  from  the  fact  that 
only  about  fifteen  years  ago  the  late  Leslie  E.  McLeod 
published    an  article    entitled  "The    Trotting  Horse 
Historically  Considered,"  in  which  he  made  the  follow- 
ing statement: 


143 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

The  descendants  of  Justin  Morgan  had  the  showy  trappy 
gait,  conformation  and  other  characteristics  that  find  their 
counterpart  in  certain  Canadian  families,  and  after  duly 
weighing  all  the  facts  presented  as  to  his  history,  I  think  the 
most  reasonable  conclusion  is  that  he  was  of  Canadian 
descent. 

It  is  evident  that  Mr.  McLeod  had  never  read,  or  if 
he  had  read  he  had  forgotten,  the  statement  made  by 
Mr.  Barnard  in  his  second  letter  and  also  the  state- 
ments of  Mr.  John  Morgan,  a  son  of  Mr.  Justin  Mor- 
gan, the  man  who  took  the  horse  to  Vermont,  and 
for  whom  the  animal  was  named.  Some  years  after 
Mr.  Linsley's  work,  now  out  of  print,  was  published, 
several  men  who  were  admirers  of  the  Morgans  inves- 
tigated the  origin  and  early  history  of  the  horse  Justin 
Morgan,  and  the  facts  which  they  learned  that  threw 
light  on  the  subject  were  published  in  various  news- 
papers. Hon.  Joseph  Battell  of  Middlebury,  Vt.,  has 
spent  more  time  and  money  in  such  investigations 
than  have  all  other  men  combined.  Mr.  Battell  has 
published  these  facts  in  Vol.  1  of  the  Morgan  Horse 
and  Register.  Many  of  the  facts  contained  in  Lins- 
ley's  work  are  embodied  in  Mr.  BattelPs,  but  a  vast 
number  of  facts  pertaining  to  the  subject,  dug  up  by 
Mr.  Battell  and  others  from  reliable  sources,  are  add- 
ed. A  careful  examination  and  comparison  of  all  the 
facts  presented  by  Mr.  Battell  and  others  show  most 
conclusively  that  the  founder  of  the  Morgan  family  of 
horses  was  bred  by  Justin  Morgan  before  he  moved 
from  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  to  Vermont  in  1788,  and 
that  the  colt  was  foaled  somewhere  in  the  Connecticut 


144 


TEE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

River  valley  as  early  as  1789.  He  was  taken  to  Ver- 
mont as  early  as  1793,  for  Mr.  Justin  Morgan  adver- 
tised him  to  stand  for  service  in  Vermont  that  season. 
The  horse  was  advertised  under  the  name  of  Figure, 
and  was  always  called  that  by  Mr.  Morgan  as  long  as 
he  owned  him.  Later  in  life  the  horse  was  named  for 
the  man  who  brought  him  to  Vermont,  Justin  Morgan. 

The  sire  of  the  horse  Justin  Morgan  was  known  as 
True  Briton,  also  as  Beautiful  Bay,  and  Traveler.  He 
was  from  the  best  of  racing  stock,  tracing  directly  in 
the  paternal  line  through  the  noted  Croft's  Partner 
to  Byerly  Turk,  and  through  his  dam  straight  to  Go- 
dolphin  Arabian,  from  both  of  which  he  inherited 
two  crosses.  Through  his  dam,  Betty  Leeds,  True 
Briton  inherited  a  cross  of  the  renowned  Flying 
Childers,  the  fastest  son  of  Darley  Arabian.  True  Brit- 
on was  by  Lloyd's  Traveler,  he  by  Morton's  imported 
Traveler,  a  son  of  Croft's  Partner.  The  latter  was 
by  Jigg,  a  son  of  Byerly  Turk.  The  dam  of  True 
Briton  was  Betty  Leeds,  by  Babraham,  son  of  Godol- 
phin  Arabian;  second  dam  by  Bolton  Starling;  third 
dam  by  Godolphin  Arabian  and  fourth  dam  by  Flying 
Childers,  the  fastest  horse  in  England  in  his  day. 

The  dam  of  Justin  Morgan  was  by  Diamond,  he  by 
Church's  Wildair,  a  son  of  imported  Wildair,  the 
horse  that  the  English  breeders  sent  over  here  and 
bought  to  take  back  to  England  and  keep  for  stock 
purposes.  Imported  Wildair  was  by  Cade,  one  of  the 
most  successful  sons  of  Godolphin  Arabian  as  a  sire 
and  perpetuator  of  racing  speed.  The  dam  of  imported 
Wildair  was  by  Steady,  a  son  of  the  famous  Flying 
Childers,  and  his  second  dam  was  by  Croft's  Partner, 


145 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

the  best  son  of  Jigg,  and  the  latter  the  most  success- 
ful son  of  Byerly  Turk  as  a  sire.  Here  we  find  the 
same  three  horses  again  which  did  so  much  to  improve 
the  quality  of  the  racing  stock  of  England,  viz.,  By- 
erly Turk,  Darley  Arabian  and  Godolphin  Arabian. 
The  pedigree  of  imported  Messenger  contains  the 
names  of  these  three  noted  horses,  and  some  of  them 
more  than  once.  There  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  the  second  dam  of  Justin  Morgan  was  by  Sports- 
man, a  son  of  Arabian  Ranger,  but  no  direct  proof  that 
such  was  the  fact  has  ever  been  presented.  The  tabu- 
lated pedigree  of  Justin  Morgan  appears  in  Mr.  Bat- 
telFs  work,  as  stated  above.  It  is  apparent  from  this 
that  the  founder  of  the  Morgan  family  was  well  bred. 
No  horse  that  was  not  well  bred  could  accomplish 
what  he  did  from  the  class  of  mares  with  which  he 
must  have  been  mated  at  that  early  day  in  Vermont. 
No  horse  of  his  time  stamped  his  offspring  more  strong- 
ly with  his  own  characteristics  or  endowed  his  g<&t  with 
greater  ability  to  perpetuate  those  valuable  character- 
istics through  succeeding  generations  than  did  Justin 
Morgan.  Probably  no  horse  of  his  size  ever  lived 
that  could  pull  so  heavy  a  load  as  he  or  do  it  more 
cheerfully.  Though  of  diminutive  size,  he  was  a  giant 
in  strength  and  had  the  courage  of  a  lion,  yet  he  was 
as  docile  as  a  lamb.  It  was  claimed  that  he  could 
out-draw,  out-walk,  out-trot  and  out-run  every  horse 
that  was  ever  matched  against  him,  and  his  owner 
never  declined  a  challenge,  however  large  and  fast 
the  opponent,  though  his  races  were  for  short  distances 
and  straight  away  on  the  road.  In  D.  C.  Linsley's 
excellent  work  the  horse  is  described  as  follows: 


146 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY, 

The  original,  or  Justin  Morgan,  was  about  fourteen  hands 
high  and  weighed  about  nine  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  His 
color  was  dark  bay,  with  black  legs,  mane  and  tail.  He  had 
no  white  hairs  on  him.  His  mane  and  tail  were  coarse  and 
heavy,  but  not  so  massive  as  has  been  sometimes  described; 
the  hair  of  both  was  straight  and  not  inclined  to  curl.  His 
head  was  good,  not  extremely  small,  but  lean  and  bony,  the 
face  straight,  forehead  broad,  ears  small  and  very  fine,  but  set 
rather  wide  apart.  His  eyes  were  medium  size,  very  dark 
and  prominent,  with  a  spirited  but  pleasant  expression,  and 
showed  no  white  round  the  edge  of  the  lid.  His  nostrils  were 
very  large,  the  muzzle  smkll,  and  ihe  lips  close  and  firm. 
His  back  and  legs  were  perhaps  his  most  noticeable  points. 
The  former  was  very  short,  the  shoulder  blades  and  hip  bones 
being  very  long  and  oblique,  and  the  loins  exceedingly  broad 
and  muscular. 

His  body  was  rather  long,  round  and  deep,  close  ribbed 
up;  chest  'deep  and  wide,  with  the  breastbone  projecting  a 
good  deal  in  front.  His  legs  were  short,  close-jointed,  thin, 
but  very  wide,  hard  and  free  from  meat,  with  muscles  that 
were  remarkably  large  for  a  horse  of  his  size,  and  this  super- 
abundance of  muscle  exhibited  itself  at  every  step.  His  hair 
was  short,  and  at  almost  all  seasons  soft  and  glossy.  He  had 
a  little  long  hair  about  the  fetlocks,  and  for  two  or  three 
inches  above  the  fetlock  on  the  back  side  of  the  legs;  the 
rest  of  the  limbs  were  entirely  free  from  it.  His  feet  were 
small,  but  well  shaped,  and  he  was  in  every  respect  perfectly 
sound  and  free  from  any  sort  of  blemish.  He  was  a  very  fast 
walker.  In  trotting  his  gait  was  low  and  smooth,  and  his 
step  short  and  nervous:  he  was  not  what  in  these  days  would 
be  called  fast,  and  we  think  it  doubtful  whether  he  could 
trot  a  mile  much  if  any  within  four  minutes,  though  it  is 
claimed  by  many  that  he  could  trot  it  in  three. 

Although  he  raised  his  feet  but  little,  he  never  stumbled. 
His  proud,  bold  and  fearless  style  of  movement,  and  his  vig- 
orous, untiring  action,  have,  perhaps,  never  been  surpassed. 
When  a  rider  was  on  Him,  he  was  obedient  to  the  slightest 
motion  of  the  rein,  would  walk  backwards  rapidly  under  a 


147 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

gentle  pressure  of  the  bit,  and  moved  sideways  almost  as 
willingly  as  he  moved  forward;  in  short,  was  perfectly  trained 
to  all  the  paces  and  evolutions  of  a  parade  horse;  and  when 
ridden  at  military  reviews  (as  was  frequently  the  case),  his 
hold,  imposing  style,  and  spirited,  nervous  action  attracted 
universal  attention  and  admiration.  He  was  perfectly  gentle 
and  kind  to  handle,  and  loved  to  be  groomed  and  caressed, 
but  he  disliked  to  have  children  about  him,  and  had  an  invet- 
erate hatred  for  dogs,  if  loose  always  chasing  them  out  of 
sight  the  instant  he  saw  them. 

When  taken  out  with  halter  or  bridle  he  was  in  constant 
motion,  and  very  playful.  He  was  a  fleet  runner  at  short  dis- 
tances. Running  horses  short  distances  for  small  stakes  was 
very  common  in  Vermont  fifty  years  ago.  Eighty  rods  was 
very  generally  the  length  of  the  course,  which  usually  com- 
menced at  a  tavern  or  grocery,  and  extended  the  distance 
agreed  upon,  up  or  down  the  public  road.  In  these  races  the 
horses  were  started  from  a  "scratch,"  that  is,  a  mark  was 
drawn  across  the  road  in  the  dirt,  and  the  horses,  ranged  in 
a  row  upon  it,  went  off  at  tne  "drop  of  a  hat"  or  some  other 
signal. 

Among  the  many  laces  of  this  description  that  he  ran 
were  two  in  1796,  at  Brookfield,  Vt.,  one  with  a  horse  called 
Sweepstakes  from  Long  Island  and  the  other  with  a  horse 
called  Silver  Tail  from  St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York. 
Both  of  these  he  beat  with  ease.  Mr.  Morgan  (who  then 
owned  him)  offered  to  give  the  owner  of  Silver  Tail  two  more 
chances  to  win  the  stake,  which  was  fifty  dollars,  by  walking 
or  trotting  the  horses  for  it,  which  was  declined.  There  are 
many  accounts  of  other  races  which  he  ran  and  won,  but 
these  accounts  not  fully  agreeing  as  to  the  details,  we  have 
not  mentioned  them. 

In  the  harness  Justin  Morgan  was  quiet  but  full  of  spirit, 
an  eager  and  nimble  traveller,  but  patient  in  bad  spots;  and 
although  for  a  long  time  steadily  engaged  in  the  heavy  work 
of  a  new  farm,  his  owner  at  that  time  informs  us  that  he 
never  knew  him  to  refuse  to  draw  as  often  as  he  was  required 
to,  but  he  pithily  adds,  "I  didn't  very  often  have  to  ask  him 


148 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY, 

but  once,  for  whatever  lie  was  hitched  to  generally  had  to 
come  the  first  time  trying."  This  uniform  kindness  at  a  pull 
was  one  of  the  striking  characteristics  of  the  horse,  and  the 
same  trait  may  be  observed  in  the  greater  part  of  his 
descendants. 

Following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Solomon 
Steele  to  Mr.  Linsley,  and  published  by  the  latter  in  Morgan 
Horses:  "Mr.  Morgan  leased  this  horse  to  Robert  Evans,  for 
one  year,  tor  the  sum  of  fifteen  dollars.  Immediately  after 
this  Evans  undertook  the  job  of  clearing  fifteen  acres  of 
heavy-timbered  land  for  a  Mr.  Fisk,  and  before  the  first  of 
June  following  had  completed  the  job,  with  no  other  team 
but  this  colt,  though  not  regarded  as  a  'salable  horse.' 

"While  Evans  was  engaged  in  piling  this  timber,  the  re- 
markable powers  of  this  horse,  it  would  seem,  were  in  a 
measure  developed,  as  he  was  then  found  able  to  out-draw, 
out-walk,  out-trot,  or  out-run  every  norse  that  was  matched 
against  him.  An  instance  was  related  to  me  by  Mr.  Nathan 
Nye,  who  was  an  eye-witness,  and  whose  testimony  was  never 
questioned.  I  noted  it  at  the  time,  and  will  relate  it  In  his 
own  words: 

."  'At  the  time  Evans  had  this  horse,  a  small  tavern,  a 
grist  mill  and  a  saw  mill  were  in  operation  on  the  branch 
of  White  River,  in  Randolph,  and  at  this  place  the  strength 
of  men  and  horses  in  that  settlement  was  generally  tested. 
On  one  occasion'  (says  Nye)  '1  went  to  these  mills,  where 
I  spent  most  of  the  day,  and  during  the  time  many  trials  were 
had,  for  a  small  wager,  to  draw  a  certain  pine  log,  which  lay 
some  ten  rods  from  the  saw  mill. 

"  'Some  horses  were  hitched  to  it  that  would  weigh  1,200 
pounds,  but  not  one  of  them  could  move  it  its  length.  About 
dusk  Evans  came  down  from  his  logging  field,  which  was  near 
by,  and  I  told  him  the  particulars  of  the  -drawing  match. 
Evans  requested  me  to  show  him  the  log,  which  I  did;  he 
then  ran  "back  to  the  tavern  and  challenged  the  company  to 
bet  a  gallon  of  rum  that  he  could  not  draw  the  log  fairly 
on  to  the  logway,  at  three  puils  with  his  colt.     The  challenge 


149 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

was  promptij^  accepted,  and  each  having  "taken  a  glass,"  the 
whole  company  went  down  to  the  spot. 

"'Arrived  on  the  ground,  Evans  says:  "I  am  ashamed  to 
hitch  my  horse  to  a  little  log  like  that,  but  if  three  of  you 
will  get  on  and  ride,  if  i  don't  draw  it  I  will  forfeit  the 
rum."  Accordingly,  three  of  those  least  able  to  stand  were 
placed  upon  the  log.  I  was  present  with  a  lantern,  and 
cautioned  those  on  the  log  to  look  out  for  their  legs,  as  I 
had  seen  the  horse  draw  before,  and  knew  something  had  got 
to  come.  At  the  word  of  command  the  horse  started  log  and 
men,  and  went  more  than  half  of  the  distance  before  stopping. 
At  the  next  pull  he  landed  his  load  at  the  spot  agreed  upon, 
to  the  astonishment  of  all  present. 

"  'Not  many  days  after  this,  the  beaten  party  proposed  to 
Evans  to  run  a  certain  horse  against  his,  eighty  rods,  for 
another  gallon.  Evans  accepted,  went  from  his  work,  and 
matched  his  horse  against  four  different  horses  the  same 
evening,  and  beat  them  all  with  ease.' " 

This  wonderful  little  horse  died  at  Chelsea,  Vt.,  in 
the  winter  of  1821.  He  was  then  thirty-two  years  old. 
Mr.  Linsley^s  account  of  the  circumstance  is  as  follows : 

He  was  not  stabled,  but  was  running  loose  in  an  open  yard 
with  other  horses,  and  receiving  a  kick  from  one  of  them  in 
the  flank,  exposed  without  shelter  to  the  inclemency  of  a 
northern  winter,  inflammation  set  in  and  he  died.  Before 
receiving  the  injury  which  caused  his  death,  he  was  perfectly 
sound  and  entirely  free  from  any  description  of  blemish. 
His  limbs  were  perfectly  smooth,  clean,  free  from  any 
swelling,  and  perfectly  limber  and  supple.  Age  had  not 
quenched  his  spirit  nor  dampened  the  ardor  of  his  temper; 
years  of  severest  labor  had  not  sapped  his  vigor  nor  broken 
his  constitution;  his  eye  was  still  bright  and  his  step  firm  and 
elastic. 

The  fact  that  Justin  Morgan  was  so  well  preserved 
at  thirty-two  years  of  age  is  of  itself  alone  sufficient 
proof  that  his  blood  inheritance  was  of  the  choicest, 


150 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

that  his  bone  and  muscle  were  of  the  finest  quality  and 
that  he  possessed  a  vast  amount  of  nerve  force.  Had 
he  not  possessed  such  an  inheritance  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  him  to  transmit  and  perpetuate  his 
valuable  qualities  with  such  uniformity  when  mated 
with  the  class  of  mares  that  he  received  there.  "A 
tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,"  and  the  inheritance  of  a 
stallion  is  surely  known  by  the  quality  of  his  progeny. 
Trotting  tracks  were  unknown  in  the  days  of  Justin 
Morgan  and  his  sons,  but  for  road  use,  either  under 
the  saddle  or  in  harness,  and  also  for  the  stage  coach 
and  general  purpose  horses,  the  early  Morgans  were 
unsurpassed  by  those  of  any  other  family.  His  ster- 
ling merit  was  not  appreciated  until  he  was  well  ad- 
vanced in  years,  and  but  comparatively  few  of  his 
sons  were  kept  for  stock  purposes.  The  three  which 
proved  most  successful  and  are  best  known  today  as 
progenitors  of  speed  were  Bulrush,  Woodbury  and 
Sherman  Morgan.  The  Morrill  family,  of  which  the 
Fearnaughts  and  Winthrop  Morrills  are  branches, 
were  descendants  of  Bulrush;  the  Golddusts,  the 
Magna  Chartas,  and  the  dam  of  the  successful  sire 
Kentucky  Prince,  are  members  of  the  Woodbury 
branch;  while  from  Sherman  Morgan  came  the  Ver- 
mont Black  Hawk  family,  which  includes  those  of 
Daniel  Lambert,  General  Knox  and  others. 

Lady  Sutton.  One  of  the  first  of  the  Morgans  to 
take  a  record  of  2.30  was  the  brown  mare  Lady  Sutton. 
She  made  a  record  of  2.30  in  a  memorable  seven-heat 
contest  with  Lady  Suffolk  and  Pelham  at  Centreville, 
L.  I.,  August  3,  1849.  Lady  Suffolk  won  the  first  heat 
in  2.29  1-2,  which  equalled  her  best  record  to  harness. 


151 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

She  also  got  the  second  heat  in  2.31.  Lady  Sutton  won 
the  third  heat  in  2.30  and  Pelham  was  distanced, 
which  left  the  contest  to  these  two  best  representa- 
tives of  the  Messenger  and  Morgan  families.  The 
fourth  heat  was  won  by  Lady  Sutton  in  2.31 1-2.  The 
fifth  was  a  dead  heat  in  2.32,  and  the  sixth  was  also  a 
dead  heat,  time,  2.31;  but  the  stout  thoroughbred 
backing  that  Lady  Suffolk  got,  aside  from  Mes- 
senger, from  the  son  of  imported  Wildair  that 
sired  her  second  dam,  and  through  Shark  that  got  the 
dam  of  Plato,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Engineer  2d,  enabled 
Lady  Suffolk  to  outlast  the  daughter  of  Morgan  Eagle, 
and  she  won  the  seventh  heat  in  2.38.  It  was  the  most 
stubbornly  contested  race  ever  seen  between  two  trot- 
ters. Morgan  Eagle,  the  sire  of  Lady  Sutton,  was 
by  Woodbury,  son  of  Justin  Morgan.  These  two 
mares  met  in  several  contests,  and  though  Lady  Suf- 
folk was  the  victor  in  the  majority  of  them.  Lady 
Sutton  beat  her  twice. 

Mac  (2.27).  The  brown  gelding  Mac  was  another 
of  the  early  Morgan  trotters  of  note.  He  beat  some 
of  the  best  trotters  of  his  day  and  one  of  them  was 
Lady  Suffolk,  that  he  defeated  four  times.  Mac  took 
a  record  of  2.27  to  saddle  in  the  third  heat  of  a  race 
that  he  beat  Lady  Suffolk,  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston, 
June  14,  1849,  and  June  28,  1853,  he  made  a  record  of 
2.28  to  harness  on  Union  Course,  N.  Y.  The  sire  of 
Mac  was  Morgan  Cseser,  also  called  Post  Boy,  and  he, 
too,  was  a  son  of  Woodbury  Morgan. 

Sherman  Morgan.  The  branch  of  the  Morgan 
family  which  has  been  most  prolific  in  trotting  speed 
is   the   line   which   came   through    Sherman   Morgan. 


152 


3. - 


^/ 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

The  latter  was  bred  by  Mr.  James  Sherman,  Lyndon, 
Vt.,  and  according  to  D.  C.  Linsley  was  foaled  in 
1808  or  1809.  His  sire  was  the  original  Justin  Morgan. 
His  dam  was  described  by  Mr.  George  Sherman,  a 
son  of  John  Sherman,  as  a  chestnut  in  color,  of 
good  size,  high-spirited  and  an  elegant  animal.  He 
called  her  of  Spanish  breed.  Others  claimed  that 
she  was  an  imported  English  mare.  From  her 
elegant  and  blood-like  appearance  and  high  spirits 
it  is  evident  that  she  was  well  bred.  She  was  taken 
to  Vermont  from  Providence  or  Cranston,  R.  I,  It 
is  stated  upon  good  authority  that  she  was  bought 
by  Mr.  John  Sherman  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  a  brother 
of  James  Sherman,  for  her  beauty  and  speed.  Like 
Clara,  the  dam  of  Dexter  (2.171-4),  she  met  with 
an  injury  and  finally  became  the  property  of  James 
Sherman  of  Lyndon,  Vt.,  who  mated  her  with  Justin 
Morgan,  and  the  result  was  Sherman  Morgan.  It  is 
probable  that  she  was  the  best  bred  as  well  as  the 
most  elegant  and  spirited  mare  that  was  ever  mated 
with  Justin  Morgan,  though  her  breeding  is  unknown. 
Linsley  says  that  "whoever  may  have  bred  this  mare, 
and  whether  of  Spanish  or  English  descent,  it  is 
certain  that  she  was  a  fine  animal.  She  was  a  chestnut 
with  three  white  feet  and  a  white  stripe  in  the  face. 
Her  head  was  good,  ears  small,  neck  light  and  rather 
long;  not  very  compactly  formed,  and  never  carried 
much  flesh.  She  carried  her  head  high,  was  a  spirited 
traveler,  and  an  excellent  saddle  beast.  She  was  very 
pleasant  tempered,  and  worked  kindly  in  all  places." 
From  the  same  author  we  quote  the  following 
description  of  this  remarkable  son  of  Justin  Morgan: 


153 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Sherman  (Morgan)  was  a  bright  chestnut  about  thirteen 
and  three-quarters  hands  high  and  weighed  nine  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds.  His  off  hind  leg  was  white  from  the 
foot  halt  way  to  the  hoc"k:;  and  he  had  a  small  white  stripe  in 
the  face;  his  head  was  lean  and  wedge-shaped  ears  small 
and  fine,  eyes  inclined  to  be  small,  but  full,  prominent  and 
lively;  his  legs  had  some  long  hairs  upon  the  back  side,  but 
were  broad,  flat  and  sinewy.  He  had  a  capital  chest,  with 
the  breast  bone  very  prominent;  the  shoulders  were  large  and 
well  placed,  the  neck  excellent,  the  mane  and  tail  full,  but  not 
remarkably  heavy.  His  Kips  were  long  and  deep,  the  loins 
broad  and  muscular,  but  he  was  a  little  hollow  or  sway- 
backed;  still  no  suspicion  of  a  weak  back  could  attach  to  him 
or  he  would  have  broken  down  under  the  rough  treatment  he 
received  in  early  life.  When  four  years  old,  Mr.  Sherman 
put  him  to  hard  work,  and  though  for  about  two  months  in 
the  spring  of  each  year  he  worked  but  little,  yet  the  remainder 
of  the  year  his  work  was  very  severe.  Mr.  Sherman  was  a 
hard-working  man  and  the  animals  under  his  charge  had  few 
opportunities  to  rest.  Most  of  the  year  the  horse  was  kept 
constantly  at  work  upon  the  farm,  much  of  which  he  helped 
to  "clear  up."  In  the  winter  Mr.  Sherman  usually  ran  a  team 
steadily  from  Lyndon,  Vt.,  to  Portland,  Me.  For  several  years 
this  team  consisted  of  this  horse  and  a  half  brother  (?)  sired 
by  Justin  Morgan,  a  year  older  and  a  little  larger  than 
Sherman. 

Mr.  Sherman  was  not  a  man  to  be  outdone  at  drawing  or 
driving  and  he  was  always  ready  to  match  his  team  against 
-any  he  met  to  draw  or  run  for  a  trifling  wager.  His  little 
team  became  famous  at  every  inn  from  Lyndon  to  Portland, 
and  after  a  time  the  teamsters  that  knew  the  horses  were 
afraid  to  match  animals  of  any  size  against  them.  In  the 
spring,  when  the  sleighing  became  poor,  the  men  who  had 
been  companions  through  the  winter  in  the  severe  labor  of 
teaming  across  the  country  would  often  congregate  at  the 
village  taverns  to  spin  yarns  of  their  simple  but  rough  ad- 
ventures, engage  in  wrestling,  running,  foot  and  horse  races, 
drawing  matches,    and  many  games    invented  to  test  the 


154 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

strength  of  men  or  fiorses.  In  addition  to  these  attractions 
the  prospects  of  a  social  glass  of  "Old  Santa  Cruz"  may  have 
had  some  influence  in  drawing  together  the  people  collected 
on  these  occasions,  for  it  was  at  that  time  considered  a 
pleasant  beverage,  and  it  was  not  generally  known  to  be  a 
subtle  poison.  Certain  it  is  that  these  games  were  well  at- 
tended and  were  conducted  with  much  spirit.  Drawing 
matches  were  at  that  time  very  common. 

At  Lyndon  the  usual  way  of  drawing  was  to  attach  a  horse 
to  a  sled,  fill  it  with  men  and  draw  the  load  up  a  steep  hill 
just  north  of  the  tavern.  "When  each  his  utmost  strength 
had  shown,"  Sherman  would  add  a  small  boy  to  his  largest 
load  and  commence  the  ascent,  well  satisfied  if  he  could  gain 
two  or  three  feet  at  a  pull,  for  nothing  discouraged  his  horse, 
and  it  was  difllcult  to  load  him  so  that  he  could  not  move  a 
little.  These  facts  are  perfectly  well  known  to  many  persons 
now  (1856)  living  in  Lyndon,  and  we  mention  them,  not  from 
any  intrinsic  interest  they  may  possess,  but  having  said  that 
Sherman  was  slightly  hollow-backed,  we  thought  it  necessary 
to  show  that  if  so  his  back  was  by  no  means  weak. 

Mr.  Sherman  sold  this  horse  to  Stephen  C.  Gibbs  of  Little- 
ton, N.  H.,  in  181?.  Mr.  Gibbs  kept  the  horse  one  year  and 
sold  him  to  John  Buckminster  of  Danville,  Vt,,  but  Mr.  Gibbs 
had  charge  of  him  two  years  longer.  After  this  he  was  kept 
at  Danville  and  vicinity  until  1829,  when  he  was  purchased 
of  Mr.  Buckminster  by  Mr.  John  Bellows  of  Lancaster,  N.  H. 
The  summer  of  1829  he  was  kept  at  Littleton,  N.  H.,  in  charge 
of  Stephen  C.  Gibbs;  in  1830  he  was  kept  at  Dover  and 
vicinity;  in  1831  he  was  at  Colonel  Jacques'  Ten  Hills  Farm, 
Charlesfown,  Mass.  In  1832  he  was  at  Dover  and  Durham,  N. 
H.;  in  1833  at  Lancaster,  N.  H.,  and  in  1834  at  Dover  and 
vicinity.  He  died  in  Mr.  Bellows'  stable  in  Lancaster  the 
9th  of  January,  18^5.  The  cause  of  his  death  is  unknown. 
He  was  left  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  apparently  well, 
and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  was  found  dead.  With 
the  exception  of  some  slight  indications  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
parently as  free  from  every  species  of  blemish  or  infirmity 
the  morning  of  the  day  he  died  as  when  he  was  foaled. 


155 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

The  thorough  investigations,  a  few  years  ago,  of 
Hon.  Joseph  Battell,  brought  to  light  some  facts  in 
the  shape  of  old  newspaper  advertisements  which  tend 
to    show   that    Mr.    Linsley    may   have    made    slight 
mistakes  in  some  of  the  above  dates,  but  they  are 
undoubtedly  nearly  correct  on  the  whole.     Mr.  John 
Bellows,   who   owned   Sherman   Morgan  the  last  six 
years   of  the  horse's   life,   was   a  very   capable  and 
successful  business  man.    He  began  buying  cattle  on  his 
own  account,  collecting  them  in  droves  and  driving  them 
to  market,  when  he  was  but  seventeen  years  old.     He 
finally  owned  a  large  amount  of  real  estate  and  timber 
lands  in  the  vicinity   of  the  White  Mountains.     He 
lived  at  the  Hotel  Warren  in  this  city  during  the  last 
few  years  of  his  life  and  died  there  several  years  ago. 
The   writer   had   several   interesting   interviews   with 
Mr.  Bellows  toward  the  close  of  his  life.     He  remem 
bered  Sherman  Morgan  well  and  never  tired  of  talking 
when  that  horse  was  the  subject  of  conversation.     Mr. 
Bellows  owned  many  horses  during  his  life,  but  appar- 
ently valued  Sherman  Morgan  much  more  highly  than 
all  the  others.     He  was  considered  the  best  sire  in  New 
England  in  his  day  and  during  the  last  few  years  of 
his  life  yielded  his  owner  a  handsome  yearly  income. 
The  horse   was   a  prompt,   cheerful   roadster,   but   it 
has  never  been  claimed  that  he  was  a  fast  trotter. 
His  offspring  were  the  best  roadsters  that  could  be 
found  in  their  time,  and  some  of  them  could  show 
considerable   speed   at   the  trot   for  that   early   day. 
Many  of    his    sons    were   kept   for    service    and    left 
excellent  stock.     The  fastest  trotter  and  most  success- 
ful perpetuator  of  speed  among  them  all  was  Vermont 


156 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

Black  Hawk,   founder  of  the  Black   Hawk    trotting 
family. 

Vermont   Black   Hawk.     Vermont    Black    Hawk, 
also  known  as  HilFs  Black  Hawk  and  registered  in 
the  American  Trotting  Register  as  Black  Hawk   (5), 
was  bred  by  Benjamin  Kelly,  then  proprietor  of  a  hotel 
in  Durham,  N.  H.     He  was  foaled  about  the  middle 
of  April,  1833j  the  property  of  Ezekiel  Twombly,  then 
also  a   resident  of  Durham.     His   dam  was  a   large 
black  mare  which  Mr.  Kelly  got  from  a  traveling  man 
or  pedlar,  in  exchange  for  another  horse.     This  pedlar 
said  that  the  mare  was  half  bred,  that  is,   she  was 
got  by  a  thorougbred  horse,  and  that  she  was  raised 
in  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  and  brought  from 
there  by  him.     She  was  a  well  proportioned,  strongly 
made  animal,   not  far  from  sixteen  hands  high  and 
weighed  1,100  pounds.     She  was  a  solid  black  in  color 
with  the  exception  of  a  white  stripe  in  the  face.     She 
was  a  pure  gaited  trotter,  never  paced  or  mixed  or 
•showed  any  inclination  to  do  so. 

Mr.  A.  R.  Mathes,  at  one  time  an  oil  merchant  of 
Boston  and  an  expert  judge  of  horses,  became  the 
owner  of  Black  Hawk  when  the  horse  was  five  years 
old.  He  knew  the  dam  of  Black  Hawk  well,  and  in 
a  personal  letter  to  the  writer,  some  twenty  years 
ago,  had  this  to  say  of  her:  "I  remember  the  dam 
of  Black  Hawk  perfectly  well.  She  was  a  good 
looking,  large-sized  black  mare,  said  to  have  come  from 
the  Provinces.  She  was  said  to  have  been  from 
English  stock  and  from  experience  since  I  should  think 
she  was.  Nothing  was  ever  said  or  thought  much' 
in  those  days  about  pedigree  or  speed.     I  remember 


157 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

her  as  being  a  good-looking,  easy-moving  mare  with 
long  neck,  large  ears,  full,  large  eyes,  wide  between 
the  eyes,  strong  back,  good  legs  and  feet." 

Mr.  Shadrack  Seavey,  a  man  of  excellent  reputation, 
who  had  charge  of  this  mare  for  eight  years,  stated 
to  the  writer  that  *^she  was  a  very  pleasant,  free  driver, 
did  not  pull  on  the  bit  in  the  least,  was  a  square 
trotter,  never  showing  any  inclination  to  pace,  and 
was  very  fast  for  those  days.  In  harness  she  carried 
her  head  pretty  well  up,  needed  but  little  checking. 
Although  a  free  driver,  she  had  a  pleasant  disposition. 
She  had  a  long,  slim  neck,  medium  mane  and  tail, 
round  barrel  of  good  length,  handsome,  smoothly 
turned  hips,  quite  a  straight  rump,  legs  clean,  smooth 
and  free  from  shaggy  hairs.  Her  weight  was  1,100 
pounds."  She  was  driven  for  several  years  by  Mr. 
Seavey's  grandmother,  an  old  lady  who  was  quite 
feeble. 

When  Black  Hawk  was  foaled  he  was  small,  very 
poor,  weak  and  homely.  He  looked  so  inferior  and 
unpromising  that  Mr.  Twombly  thought  seriously  of 
killing  him,  and  asked  the  advice  of  a  neighbor  In 
regard  to  the  matter.  After  looking  the  colt  over 
the  neighbor  said,  "No,  don't  kill  him;  he  may  be 
worth  a  hundred  dollars  some  day."  Mr.  Twombly 
decided  to  let  the  colt  live,  but  said  he  hated  to  have 
such  a  looking  thing  following  so  good  a  mare.  He 
told  his  grandson,  Shadrack  Seavey,  then  a  youth  of 
seventeen  years,  who  lived  with  his  grandparents,  that 
he  might  have  the  colt  for  his  own.  Shadrack 
Seavey's   mother   was   a   daughter   of   Mr.   and   Mrs. 


158 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

Ezekiel  Twombly.  Shadrack  lived  with  his  grand- 
parents until  after  he  was  "of  age,"  and  his  grandfather 
died.  The  colt  improved  in  looks  as  he  grew  older. 
But  few  farmers  in  that  section  thought  they  could 
afford  to  feed  grain  to  their  colts  in  those  days,  and 
Black  Hawk  was  never  treated  to  such  a  luxury  as  a 
feed  of  oats  until  after  he  left  the  farm  where  he  was 
raised.  Shadrack  Seavey  had  sole  charge  of  the  colt 
and  at  the  usual  age  broke  him  both  to  harness  and 
saddle.  When  the  colt  was  three  years  old  a  veterinary 
Burgeon  was  called  to  the  farm  to  castrate  him,  but  he 
was  a  good  judge  of  horse  stock,  and  advised  young 
Seavey  to  keep  the  colt  entire.  The  Morgans  were 
then  very  popular  in  New  England,  and  the  get  of 
Sherman  Morgan,  the  most  popular  of  them  all.  The 
colt  was  named  Morgan  by  Mr.  Seavey  and  was  always 
BO  called  as  long  as  he  kept  him.  He  proved  very 
intelligent  and  docile,  and  submitted  to  be  used  to 
harness  and  saddle  without  resistance. 

About  the  time  that  Shadrack  Seavey  became 
twenty-one  years  of  age  his  grandfather,  Ezekiel 
Twombly,  died.  Although  the  colt  had  been  given 
to  Shadrack  Seavey,  the  administrator  of  the  estate 
claimed  Morgan,  and  he  was  appraised  as  part  of  the 
estate  at  |60.  Mr.  Seavey  did  not  like  to  part  with 
the  colt,  and,  being  a  bright  young  man  who  could 
stand  up  for  his  rights,  he  put  in  a  claim  against 
the  estate  of  |60  for  services  rendered  his  grandfather. 
The  claim  was  allowed  and  he  was  given  the  colt  in 
payment.  Morgan,  as  the  colt  was  then  called,  was 
a  born  trotter.  Mr.  Seavey  was  not  a  horseman,  yet 
with  his  handling  Morgan  improved  in  speed,  so  that 


159 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

he  soon  out-trotted  all  the  best  horses  in  that  vicinity. 
His  gait  was  pure  and  his  inclination  to  stick  to  the 
trot  was  so  strong  that  he  never  made  a  break  during 
all  the  time  that  Mr.  Seavey  drove  him.  His  beautiful 
trotting  action  and  natural  speed  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  horsemen  and  elicited  favorable  comment  from 
them  all.  In  the  winter  of  1837-8,  when  he  was  coming 
five  years  old,  A.  R.  Mathes,  who  had  heard  of  the 
colt,  went  to  see  him.  He  found  the  colt  running  in 
the  farm  yard  with  a  lot  of  cows.  Mr.  Mathes  informed 
the  writer  that  the  colt  was  then  rather  thin  in  flesh 
and  would  weigh  only  about  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  and  as  he  had  not  been  blanketed  during 
the  cold  weather  his  coat  was  quite  long.  He  appeared 
at  first  glance  like  an  ordinary  farm  colt.  Mr.  Mathes 
asked  Mr.  Seavey  to  harness  the  colt  to  sleigh  and 
drive  him.  He  did  so,  and  Mr.  Mathes  was  so  well 
pleased  with  his  gait  and  speed  that  after  considerable 
parley  he  induced  Mr.  Seavey  to  let  him  have  the  colt 
for  another  horse  and  $50  in  cash.  As  already  stated, 
the  colt  was  then  coming  five  years  old,  or,  as  ages  of 
horses  are  reckoned,  was  then  five  years  old.  Up  to 
that  time  no  one  except  Mr.  Seavey  had  ever  driven 
or  ridden  Morgan,  as  he  was  then  called,  or  Black 
Hawk,  as  he  is  now  known.  Mr.  Mathes  was  a  natural 
horseman  and  quite  an  expert  reinsman.  In  his  hands 
the  young  horse  soon  showed  great  improvement  both 
in  speed  and  general  appearance.  He  kept  the  horse 
a  few  months  and  then  sold  him  to  Messrs.  William 
Brown  and  Benjamin  Thurston  of  Haverhill,  Mass., 
for  |200.  Mr.  Thurston  finally  bought  Mr.  Brown's 
interest  in  the  horse,  named  him  Black  Hawk,  used 


160 


TEE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

him  as  a  family  horse,  handled  him  for  speed,  and 
raced  him  with  considerable  success. 

Many  of  the  races  of  that  early  day  were  not 
published,  and  undoubtedly  several  in  which  Black 
Hawk  was  engaged  were  among  them.  Chester's 
Complete  Trotting  and  Pacing  Records  gives  but  two 
of  his  races.  The  first  was  at  Boston  in  1842,  when 
he  won  a  wager  of  $1,000  by  trotting  five  miles  in 
16  minutes.  The  other  was  October  3,  1843,  in  which 
he  met  and  defeated  Jim  and  Dying  Sargent  in  a  race 
of  two  mile  heats,  time  5.43,  5.48,  5.47.  The  second 
heat  was  won  by  Dying  Sargent.  It  has  been  stated 
that  Mr.  Thurston  taught  Black  Hawk  to  break  and 
catch,  a  style  of  training  practiced  by  many  drivers 
at  that  early  day.  In  the  winter  or  spring  of  1844 
Mr.  Thurston  sold  Black  Hawk  for  $800  to  David  Hill 
of  Bridport,  Vt.,  and  his  son,  Noble  Hill,  then  of 
Boston.  The  horse  was  taken  to  Bridport.  David 
Hill  finally  became  sole  owner  and  kept  him  until 
Black  Hawk's  death,  which  occurred  December  1,  1856. 
During  the  last  twelve  years  of  his  life  Black  Hawk 
was  the  most  popular  and  most  extensively  patronized 
trotting  stallion  then  in  America.  He  met  with 
strenuous  opposition,  however,  from  friends  of  the 
Messengers,  who  derided  the  "little  Morgans,"  and 
also  from  friends  of  the  Morgan  family,  who  were 
owners  of  rival  Morgan  stallions  which  they  stood 
for  service,  but  Black  Hawk's  merits  had  become  so 
well  known  that  the  efforts  of  his  enemies  failed  to 
detract  from  his  popularity. 

The  high  esteem  in  which  Black  Hawk  was  held  by 
his  former  owner.  Benjamin  Thurston,   is  shown   in 


101 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

the  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  October  7th, 
1847,  by  Mr.  Thurston  to  David  Hill,  who  then  owned 
the  horse:  "I  bought  Black  Hawk  when  he  was  five 
years  old;  for  six  years  used  him  as  my  family  horse, 
and  think  him  without  exception  the  finest  horse  I 
ever  knew.  I  have  owned  many  horses  during  the  last 
twenty-five  years,  varying  from  ten  to  thirty-five  at  a 
time,  and  have  also  been  in  the  habit  of  purchasing 
the  best  I  could  find  for  sale;  but  if  the  choicest 
qualities  of  all  the  best  horses  I  ever  owned  were 
combined  in  one  animal,  I  do  not  think  they  would 
produce  one  that  would  surpass  Black  Hawk.  In 
the  first  place  he  is  the  best  roadster  I  ever  drew 
rein  over.  I  have  frequently  driven  him  fifty  miles 
in  half  a  day,  and  once  drove  him  sixty-three  miles 
in  seven  hours  and  fifteen  minutes.  He  did  it  with 
perfect  ease,  and  indeed  I  never  saw  him  appear 
fatigued.  At  the  time  I  owned  him,  I  believe  he 
could  have  trotted  one  hundred  miles  in  ten  hours, 
or  sixteen  miles  in  one  hour,  or  one  mile  in  two 
minutes  and  forty  seconds.  In  the  second  place,  he 
has  the  best  disposition  of  any  horse  I  ever  knew, 
and  is  perfectly  safe  for  any  lady  to  ride  or  drive. 
Thirdly,  he  will  draw  as  kindly  as  any  team  horse. 
His  stock  is  unequalled." 

Early  in  the  season  of  1847,  some  of  the  friends 
of  Mr.  Hill  and  his  horse,  among  them  Solomon  Jewett, 
then  quite  an  extensive  breeder  of  fine  horses, 
persuaded  Mr.  Hill  to  publicly  challenge  any  one  to 
match  any  stallion  in  America  against  Black  Hawk  on 
the  following  points :  "First,  perfection  of  symmetry ; 
second,  ease  and  elegance  of  action;  third,  best  and 


162 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY, 

most  perfectly  broken  to  harness;  fourth,  fastest 
trotting  to  single  harness" ;  the  decision  to  be  rendered 
by  expert  disinterested  judges  at  the  New  York  State 
Fair  that  fall.  The  challenge  failed  to  bring  about 
a  match  on  those  terms,  but  did  result  in  a  match 
to  harness,  between  the  Morse  Horse  and  Black  Hawk, 
which  was  contested  at  the  time  and  place  mentioned 
in  Mr.  Hill's  challenge.  The  Morse  Horse  had  some- 
thing of  a  local  reputation  as  a  trotter,  and  as  his 
dam  was  quite  strongly  inbred  to  the  Messenger  strain 
the  friends  of  Messenger  stock  were  greatly  interested 
in  the  match  before  the  race  came  off,  and  sadly  disap- 
pointed by  the  result.  Black  Hawk  had  been  so  busy 
in  the  stud  that  season  as  to  prevent  putting  him  in 
racing  condition.  He  received  that  season  a  total  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty-six  patrons.  He  was  on  the 
ground  at  the  appointed  time,  however,  and  parties 
who  were  present  say  that  he  beat  the  Morse  Horse 
easily.  This  race  does  not  appear  in  Chester's  Com- 
plete Trotting  and  Pacing  Records,  and  there  is 
probably  no  account  of  it  in  existence  that  was 
published  at  the  time.  Some  twenty  odd  years  aga 
Mr.  Solomon  Jewett,  who  was  present  and  remem- 
bered the  contest,  gave  the  time  made.  It  was  not 
fast,  but  was  fast  enough  to  win.  It  was  claimed 
that  the  New  York  papers  were  then  all  so  friendly 
to  the  Messengers  and  hostile  to  the  Morgans,  that 
they  did  not  care  to  make  known  the  victory  of  Black 
Hawk,  but  whether  the  claim  had  any  foundation  in 
fact  we  do  not  know. 

Black  Hawk  got  but  few  foals  before  he  was  taken 
to  Vermont.    During  the  thirteen  seasons  that  he  did 


163 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

service  while  owned  by  Mr.  Hill,  it  is  stated  upon 
good  authority  that  his  patrons  numbered  1772.  In 
1850,  the  number  of  mares  mated  with  him  was  twd 
hundred.  For  eight  seasons  the  number  of  his  patrons 
ranged  from  one  hundred  and  sixteen  to  two  hundred, 
and  the  average  for  those  eight  seasons  was  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven.  Some  time  after  Black 
Hawk  was  taken  to  Vermont,  and  had  become  the  most 
popular  trotting  stallion  in  America,  some  one 
started  a  story  to  the  effect  that  he  was  not  a  son  of 
Sherman  Morgan,  but  was  got  by  a  horse  called  Paddy, 
that  was  owned  by  Mr.  Bellows,  and  used  as  a  "teaser'^ 
for  Sherman  Morgan.  It  wa^  claimed  that  Paddy 
was  black,  that  Black  Hawk  was  black,  and  that 
Sherman  Morgan  never  got  a  black  colt  or  filly.  The 
story  was  circulated  industriously  and  was  accepted 
as  fact  by  many.  When  Mr.  Charles  Flint  was  Secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  of  Massachusetts, 
somebody  furnished  him  with  the  story,  so  embellished 
that  he  accepted  it  as  fact,  and  published  it  in  one 
of  his  annual  reports.  This  version  of  the  story  was 
that,  one  Sunday  night,  some  boys  broke  into  the 
stable  where  Sherman  Morgan,  Paddy  and  the  dam  of 
Black  Hawk  were  kept,  and  by  lantern  light,  mated 
the  dam  of  Black  Hawk  with  Paddy.  All  that  was 
necessary  to  stamp  that  story  as  false  was  the  stud  bill 
for  Sherman  Morgan  for  the  season  of  1832.  One 
of  those  bills,  framed,  hangs  in  the  Editorial  room  of 
the  American  Horse  Breeder.  It  shows  that  Sherman 
Morgan  was  at  Benjamin  Kelley's,  Durham,  N.  H.,  OTie 
night  only  in  each  week  and  that  night  was  Wednesday, 
This  bill  further  shows  that  instead  of  Paddy,  it  was 


164 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY. 

a  son  of  Sherman  Morgan  that  was  Sherman  Morgan's 
stable  companion  or  teaser  that  year.  Mr.  Bellows 
at  one  time  owned  a  stallion  called  Paddy,  but  he  sold 
that  horse  in  1830  to  a  man  in  New  Hampshire,  who 
sent  Paddy  to  Rhode  Island.  The  stnd  book  of  Paddy, 
which  is  now  the  property  of  the  American  Hoese 
Breeder,  shows  that  the  date  when  the  last  mare  was 
mated  with  him  while  he  was  the  property  of  Mr. 
Bellows  was  July  31,  1830. 

So  much  for  the  Paddy  story,  which  we  have  good 
reason  to  believe  was  started  by  parties  who  at  the 
time  were  interested  in  the  stallion  Gifford  Morgan, 
an  excellent  representative  of  the  Morgan  family,  then 
owned  and  kept  in  New  Hampshire.  The  only  ground 
for  the  story  was  that  Black  Hawk  was  black,  but  so 
was  his  dam.  Mr.  J.  H.  Wallace  states  in  his  latest 
work,  '^The  Horse  of  America,"  that  Paddy  was  "black 
as  a  crow."  Mr.  John  Bellows,  who  owned  Paddy, 
assured  the  writer  that  the  horse  was  not  black,  but 
was  brown  in  color.  It  is  immaterial,  however,  what 
Paddy's  color  was,  as  he  was  not  within  one  hundred 
miles  of  the  dam  of  Black  Hawk  the  season  that  the 
latter  was  begotten.  The  Stud  Book  of  Sherman 
Morgan  for  1832,  which  is  now  the  property  of  the 
American  Horse  Breeder^  shows  that  a  mare  owned 
by  Benjamin  Kelley  was  mated  with  Sherman  Morgan 
May  14,  1832,  for  which  Mr.  Kelley  was  charged  ^14. 
This  is  marked  paid,  and  underneath  is  a  note  in  Mr. 
Bellows'  handwriting  stating  that  "from  this  service 
came  Black  Hawk." 

In  giving  the  history  of  Black  Hawk  in  his  latest 
work,   Mr.    Wallace   has   made   several   errors,    some 


165 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

trivial,  one  at  least  very  important.  He  accepts 
Sherman  Morgan  as  the  sire  of  Black  Hawk,  and 
states  as  evidence  that  when  Ezekiel  Twomblj  traded 
for  the  dam  of  Black  Hawk  with  Benjamin  Kelley,  he 
agreed  to  pay  the  service  fee  of  the  stallion  in  case  the 
mare  proved  with  foal,  but  that  when  he  came  to  settle 
he  refused  to  pay  more  than  $7,  which  was  the  price 
of  Paddy's  fee;  that  Mr.  Bellows  sued  for  $14,  the 
fee  of  Sherman  Morgan,  and  recovered  that  sum. 
This  is  a  matter  of  small  consequence,  but  it  shows 
how  careless  some  able  and  noted  writers  are  in 
recording  matters  of  history.  The  foundation  for  that 
story  is  this:  Wingate  Twombly,  a  son  of  Ezekiel, 
who  lived  with  his  father,  took  a  mare  owned  by 
his  father  to  the  stallion  Flint  Morgan,  owned  by  Mr. 
Bellows,  and,  without  authority  of  his  father,  had  her 
mated  with  that  horse.  Wingate  was  then  of  age.  His 
father  was  displeased  because  he  did  this,  as  it  was 
contrary  to  his  wishes,  and  he  refused  to  pay  the 
service  fee.  Mr.  Bellows  sued  for  it  and  the  Court 
decreed  that  Ezekiel  Twombly,  owner  of  the  mare, 
must  pay  the  fee,  which  he  did.  We  had  these  facts 
from  the  lips  of  both  Wingate  Twombly  and  John 
Bellows.  There  was  never  any  question  about  the  bill 
for  the  service  of  Sherman  Morgan  and  the  dam  of 
Black  Hawk.  No  trace  of  the  Paddy  story  can  be 
found  until  some  time  after  Black  Hawk  became  the 
property  of  David  Hill. 

Mr.  Wallace  says  that  when  Black  Hawk  was  about 
two  years  old  he  was  sold  at  auction  to  Albert  Mathes 
of  Durham,  N.  H.,  for  $70.  This,  too,  is  a  harmless 
error.    The  horse  was  never  sold  at  auction  and  did 


166 


THE    MORGAN    FAMILY. 

not  become  the  property  of  Mr.  Mathes  until  five  years 
old,  when  Mr.  Mathes  gave  |50  in  cash  and  another 
horse  or  mare  valued  at  |50  for  him.  In  speaking 
of  the  dam  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk  Mr.  Wallace  says, 
"The  reasonable  conclusion  seems  to  be  that  she  was 
double-gaited  and  when  speeded  she  would  go  from 
the  trot  to  the  pace,  or  the  pace  to  the  trot,  as  the 
case  might  be."  Had  Mr.  Wallace  investigated  this 
matter  personally  he  would  never  have  allowed  such  a 
glaring  misstatement  to  have  been  published  in  his 
work.  The  man  who  was  mainly  responsible  for  the 
error  is  Allen  W.  Thompson  of  Woodstock,  Vt.,  and  he 
was  one  of  those  who  argued  that  Black  Hawk  was 
got  by  Paddy,  the  horse  that  was  sold  by  Mr.  Bellows 
to  George  Bothwell  of  Northumberland,  N.  H.,  after 
the  close  of  the  season  of  1830,  and  was  sold  or  sent 
by  Bothwell  to  some  one  in  Rhode  Island.  Mr. 
Bellows  stated  to  the  writer  that  he  neither  owned  nor 
even  ever  saw  Paddy  again  after  he  sold  him  to  Mr. 
Bothwell.  Benjamin  Kelley,  who  owned  the  dam  of 
Black  Hawk  when  she  was  mated  with  Sherman 
Morgan,  May  14,  1832,  stated  to  Ezekiel  Twombly  and 
others  that  the  man  from  whom  he  got  this  mare 
informed  him  that  she  was  a  half-bred  mare  that  was 
raised  in  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick.  So  far 
as  known  Mr.  Kelley  never  made  any  other  statement 
concerning  her  origin  and  breeding.  The  writer  inves- 
tigated this  matter  very  carefully  and  thoroughly 
some  twenty  years  ago  and  got  his  facts  concerning 
the  matter  from  trustworthy  men  who  were  well 
acquainted  with  Benjamin  Kelley,  Ezekiel  Twombly, 

1G7 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

and  the  dam  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk,  and  Vermont 
Black  Hawk  himself. 

Whatever  credit — or  otherwise — is  due  the  man  who 
first  gave  to  the  public  the  story  that  the  dam  of 
Black  Hawk  was  a  pacer,  or  mixed  gaited,  and  had 
white  hairs  mixed  with  the  black  in  her  coat,  belongs 
to  the  above  named  Mr.  Thompson,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  extract  from  ''The  Horse  of  America," 
by  J.  H.  Wallace,  page  378 : 

In  1876  Mr.  Thompson  visited  Albany  for  the  purpose  of 
examining  everything  that  had  been  said  in  The  Country 
Gentleman  newspaper  touching  on  the  paternity  of  Black 
Hawk.  In  tis  search  for  the  sire  he  would  necessarily  find 
many  references  to  the  dam,  and  among  those  references  he 
was  greatly  surprised  to  find  she  had  been  described  as  a 
pacing  mare.  He  goes  on  to  say:  "In  our  visit  the  same 
fall  to  Dover,  Portsmouth,  Greenland  and  Durham,  N.  H.,  we 
found  a  number  that  knew  her  when  owned  in  Durham  and 
they  said  she  was  then  known  as  the  Old  Narragansett  Mare." 
They  said  Benjamin  Kelley,  deceased,  brought  the  mare  into 
Durham,  that  he  had  a  son  John  L.  living  in  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  and  that  he  would  know  more  about  her.    *     *     * 

It  appears  that  Mr.  Thompson  wrote  to  Mr.  Kelley 
and  got  a  reply  from  the  latter  dated  Manchester,  N. 
H.,  August  25,  1876.  In  this  letter  Mr.  Kelley,  who  in 
early  life  followed  the  sea,  says  that  he  "returned  to 
Durham  from  a  voyage  in  1830;  that  the  following 
spring  his  father  traded  for  a  dark  hay  mare,  that  the 
teamster  from  whom  he  got  her  said  she  was  a 
Narragansett  mare.  She  would  weigh  1,000  pounds. 
This  letter  was  written  from  memory  some  forty-six 
years  after  Benjamin  Kelley  traded  for  the  "dark  hay 
mare  called  a  Narragansett  mare  which  would  weigh 
1,000  pounds."     It  is  probable  that  Mr.  John  L.  Kelley 

168 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

may  have  been  correct  in  his  statement  that  his  father, 
Benjamin  Kelley,  traded  for  a  bay  Narragansett  mare 
at  the  time  named,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  dam  of 
Vermont  Black  Hawk  was  not  a  dark  bay  mare,  was 
not  called  the  "Old  Narragansett  mare"  by  Benjamin 
Kelley  when  he  traded  her  with  Ezekiel  Twombly,  was 
never  known  as  such  during  the  eight  years  that  she 
was  owned  by  the  Twombly  family ;  had  no  white  hairs 
mixed  through  her  coat,  and  never  paced  or  mixed 
a  step.  The  dam  of  Black  Hawk  was  a  solid  black 
with  the  exception  of  a  white  stripe  on  the  forehead, 
stood  about  sixteen  hands  high,  weighed  1,100  pounds, 
was  as  square  gaited  a  trotter  as  lived  in  her  day,  never 
paced  or  mixed,  and  was  quite  speedy. 

During  a  personal  interview  with  Wingate  Twombly 
in  1885,  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  on  the  farm  of  Mr. 
Charles  H.  Hayes,  a  breeder  of  premium  Ayrshire 
cattle,  Mr.  Twombly  stated  to  the  writer  that  the  pedlar 
from  whom  Mr.  Benjamin  Kelley  got  the  dam  of  Black 
Hawk  said  that  he  was  from  Nova  Scotia  and  that  he 
brought  this  mare  to  the  states.  Wingate  Twombly 
w^as  a  son  of  Ezekiel  Twombly  and  was  born  in 
Durham,  N.  H.,  in  1806.  He  continued  to  live  with 
his  parents  for  several  years  after  he  became  ''of  age." 
As  he  probably  never  saw  the  man  who  brought  the 
mare  from  the  Provinces,  he  must  have  got  his  informa- 
tion concerning  the  pedlar's  statement  from  Benjamin 
Kelley,  with  whom  he  was  well  acquainted.  Mr. 
Twombly  did  not  say  that  the  mare  came  from  Nova 
Scotia,  but  that  the  pedlar  came  from  that  place.  It 
is  probable  that  the  pedlar  may  have  got  her  in  New 


169 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Brunswick.     It  is  certain  that  he  so  stated  to  Mr. 
Benjamin  Kelley. 

After  interviewing  and  leaving  Wingate  Twombly, 
who  occupied  a  dwelling  on  a  part  of  Mr.  Hayes' 
farm,  we  had  a  talk  with  Mr.  Hayes.  The  latter  did 
not  claim  to  know  anything  about  the  mare,  of  his  own 
personal  knowledge,  but  informed  us  that  a  man 
named  Shadrack  Seavey,  living  a  few  miles  from  there, 
in  Greenland,  N.  H.,  could  tell  us  more  about  the  dam 
^of  Black  Hawk,  and  the  early  history  of  Black  Hawk 
himself,  than  any  other  man  living.  He  also  assured 
us  that  we  could  place  implicit  confidence  in  every 
statement  that  Mr.  Seavey  made,  for  he  was  a  truthful 
man  and  highly  respected  among  his  townsmen.  We 
drove  at  once  to  the  farm  of  Shadrack  Seavey  and 
interviewed  him.  He  informed  us  that  Black  Hawk 
was  foaled  not  later  than  the  middle  of  April,  1833, 
and  that  he  was  with  the  mare  and  colt  within  half  an 
hour  after  the  colt  was  dropped.  We  also  had  several 
personal  letters  in  regard  to  the  dam  of  Black  Hawk 
from  A.  R.  Mathes  shortly  after  our  interview  with 
Mr.  Seavey.  Mr.  Mathes  was  then  living  in  Connecti- 
<!ut.  His  description  of  the  size,  color,  conformation 
and  gait  of  this  mare  agreed  completely  in  every 
respect  with  that  of  Shadrack  Seavey.  The  latter 
informed  us  that  we  were  the  first  who  had  ever 
interviewed  him  to  get  the  facts  concerning  Black 
Hawk  and  his  dam.  The  testimony  of  Mr.  Seavey  and 
Mr.  Mathes  concerning  the  dam  of  Black  Hawk  cannot 
be  impeached,  and  no  one  who  ever  knew  them  will 
question  it.  The  pacing  cross  may  be  a  valuable  factor 
in  a  trotting  pedigree,  but  Black  Hawk  got  no  aid 


170 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY, 

in  this  director!  from  a  pacing  dam.  Those  who  believe 
and  claim  that  she  was  a  pacer  were  simply  mistaken 
in  the  identity  of  the  mare. 

The  superior  merit  shown  by  the  get  of  Vermont 
Black  Hawk  caused  a  great  demand  for  his  sons  and 
daughters  all  over  the  country  wherever  road  horses 
were  bred,  from  Maine  to  California,  and  they  sold  for 
high  prices.  As  a  family  they  were  unsurpassed 
for  beauty,  style  and  superior  road  qualities.  Many 
of  them  were  beautifully  gaited  trotters  and  fast  for 
their  day.  There  was  a  peculiar  elasticity  or  springi- 
ness to  their  action,  whether  walking  or  trotting,  not 
exhibited  by  the  descendants  of  any  other  horse. 
Wherever  stallions  of  Black  Hawk  descent  were  kept 
the  horse  stock  of  those  localities  soon  showed  marked 
improvement,  in  conformation,  style,  gait,  speed  and 
road  qualities.  Many  of  the  produce  of  his  daughters 
or  daughters  of  his  sons  and  grandsons  have  acquired 
great  distinction  either  as  performers  or  producers,  or 
both.  Gambetta  Wilkes  (2.191-4),  a  very  successful 
son  of  George  Wilkes  as  a  sire,  is  one  of  them.  His  dam 
was  by  Gill's  Vermont,  he  by  Downing's  Vermont,  a 
son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.  Gambetta  Wilkes  is 
now  credited  with  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  that  have 
made  standard  records,  and  twelve  of  them  are  in  the 
2.10  list. 

Elyria  (2.25  1-4),  by  Mambrino  King,  is  the  sire  of  a 
greater  number  of  performers  with  standard  records 
than  any  other  stallion  that  is  a  direct  descendant  in 
the  paternal  line  of  Mambrino  Chief.  He  is  now 
credited  with  eighty-two,  and  sixty-nine  of  them  are 


171 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

trotters.  The  dam  of  Elyria  was  by  Bradford's  Tele- 
graph, a  son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.  Nelson  (2.09), 
by  Young  Kolfe  (2.211-4),  was  the  first  stallion  to 
take  a  trotting  record  of  2.10.  This  record  was  made 
to  high  wheels  and  over  a  regulation  track.  It  has 
never  been  equalled  by  any  other  trotting  stallion  under 
similar  conditions.  He  is  now  credited  with  fifty-one 
performers  that  have  made  records  in  standard  time, 
a  greater  number  than  has  been  sired  by  any  other 
stallion  that  has  ever  stood  in  Maine.  The  second 
dam  of  Nelson  was  a  daughter  of  Vermont  Black 
Hawk.  Alcander  (2.20  1-2)  has  sired  a  greater  number 
of  performers  with  records  from  2.00  1-4  to  2.30  than 
any  other  son  of  Alcantara  (2.23).  The  third  dam  of 
Alcander  was  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk. 

Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2).  The  number  of  standard 
performers  got  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk  was  four, 
and  three  of  them  were  trotters.  The  number  of  hicj 
sons  that  sired  2.30  performers  was  seventeen.  His 
daughters  produced  four  that  took  records  in  standard 
time,  and  seven  stallions  that  sired  2.30  speed  were 
from  his  daughters.  The  most  distinguished  trotter 
and  successful  perpetuator  of  speed,  style  and  beauty 
got  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk  was  Ethan  Allen.  The 
latter  was  bred  by  Joel  W.  Holcomb  of  Ticonderoga, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  foaled  June  18,  1849.  His  dam  was  a 
small  but  spirited  animal,  grey  in  color,  that  had 
been  considerably  injured  by  rough,  hard  usage  before 
she  was  used  for  brood  purposes.  Mr.  Joseph  Battell 
spent  much  time  and  money  carefully  investigating 
her  origin  and  history.     He  learned  that  she  was  bred 

172 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

by  John  Field  of  Springfield,  Vt.,  and  got  by  a  hand* 
some  Morgan  built  bay  stallion,  known  as  Robin,  or 
Red  Robin.  It  was  believed  by  good  judges  of  horse 
stock  who  knew  this  Robin  that  he  was  got  by  the 
original  Justin  Morgan,  but  no  direct  proof  has  been 
presented  to  substantiate  the  claim,  as  his  breeder 
had  no  doubt  died  long  before  Mr.  Battell  began  his 
investigation.  All  who  knew  her  agree  in  the  state- 
ment that  she  was  a  smart,  resolute  traveler,  and  was 
a  square  gaited  trotter.  Some  thought  she  could  show 
close  to  three  minute  speed.  Her  dam  had  the  appear- 
ance of  being  a  Morgan  and  her  second  dam  was 
believed  to  be  a  daughter  of  old  Justin  Morgan. 

Ethan  Allen  was  a  bay  in  color  with  black  points, 
stood  about  fifteen  hands  at  maturity,  and  weighed 
about  one  thousand  pounds  when  in  good  condition. 
He  was  the  third  foal  that  his  dam  prduced  by  Vermont 
Black  Hawk.  The  first  was  Black  Hawk  Maid,  foaled 
in  1846,  and  she  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.37.  The 
second,  foaled  in  1847,  called  Red  Leg,  was  not  so  fast 
as  Black  Hawk  Maid,  but  quite  a  trotter  in  his  day. 

Up  to  the  season  of  1848  the  service  fee  of  Black 
Hawk  was  |10,  but  in  1848  it  was  increased.  Mr. 
Holcomb  left  the  dam  of  Ethan  Allen  at  Mr.  HilFs 
place  that  season  some  time  after  she  was  mated  with 
Black  Hawk.  This  fact  we  learned  from  a  personal 
interview  in  this  city  some  twenty-five  years  ago  with 
Mr.  Noble  Hill,  a  son  of  David  Hill,  who  spent  part 
of  the  summer  of  1848  visiting  his  father  at  Bridport, 
and  remembered  seeing  the  Holcomb  mare  running  in 
a  field  there.  When  Mr.  Holcomb  settled  with  Mr. 
Hill,  the  latter  charged  him  the  amount  of  the  advanced 


173 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

service  fee  and  also  for  the  keep  of  the  mare.  Mr, 
Holcomb  was  dissatisfied  with  the  bill,  and  held  a 
grudge  against  Mr.  Hill  for  several  years  on  that 
account.  It  has  been  stated  by  some  that  David  Hill 
was  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Holcomb,  but  this  is  a  mistake. 
He  was  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Rowe,  who  at  one  time  was 
a  partner  of  Mr.  Holcomb  in  the  ownership  of  Ethan 
Allen.  After  Ethan  Allen  had  become  somewhat 
famous  on  account  of  his  elegant  style,  beautiful  gait 
and  speed,  Mr.  Holcomb,  who  was  fond  of  a  practical 
joke  and  wanted  to  annoy  Mr.  Hill,  wrote  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Riley  Adams,  who  then  owned  a  handsome  Morgan 
stallion  called  Flying  Morgan,  stating  that  he  had 
made  all  the  reputation  for  David  Hill's  stallion  Black 
Hawk  that  he  cared  to,  and  added  that  Ethan  Allen  was 
not  by  Black  Hawk,  but  was  by  Flying  Morgan.  This 
letter  was  written  in  the  presence  of  several  men  in 
Mr.  Holcomb's  hotel  at  Ticonderoga.  Some  of  them 
remonstrated  with  Mr.  Holcomb  for  writing  a  letter 
containing  so  false  a  statement,  simply  for  the  purpose 
of  annoying  Mr.  Hill,  and  he  finally  added  a  postscript, 
leaving  considerable  space  between  that  and  the  letter. 
In  the  postscript,  Holcomb  stated  that  Ethan  Allen 
was  not  by  Flying  Morgan,  that  the  latter  never 
smelled  of  Ethan  Allen's  dam,  but  that  Ethan  Allen 
could  beat  Flying  Morgan.  The  letter  was  sent  to  Mr. 
Adams,  and  was  soon  exhibited  by  him  to  many  persons 
with  the  postscript  torn  off.  Flying  Morgan  bore 
some  resemblance  to  Ethan  Allen  in  color  and  con- 
formation, and  many  believed  the  false  story  that  he 
was  Ethan  Allen's  sire.  Among  those  who  argued 
strenuously    that  such    was   the  case    was    Allen   W. 


174 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY. 

Thompson,  a  man  who  always  insisted  that  Vermont 
Black  Hawk  was  by  Paddy,  instead  of  Sherman 
Morgan,  and  who  discovered  (?)  that  the  dam  of 
Vermont  Black  Hawk  was  a  pacer  and  was  called 
"Old  Narragansett." 

Flying  Morgan  was  owned  at  one  time  by  a  Dr. 
Eussell.  Mr.  Adams,  who  afterwards  owned  Flying 
Morgan,  and  Allen  W.  Thompson  both  claimed  that, 
while  Flying  Morgan  was  owned  by  Dr.  Russell,  the 
latter  drove  the  horse  to  Ticonderoga,  and  left  him 
at  the  stable  of  Joel  W.  Holcomb  for  a  day  or  two^ 
while  he  went  across  the  lake,  and  that  while  the  doctor 
was  away  Mr.  Holcomb  surreptitiously  mated  the  dam 
of  Ethan  Allen  with  Flying  Morgan.  Mr.  Thompson 
or  some  one  else  obtained  an  affidavit  from  a  man 
who  was  at  one  time  in  Mr.  Holcomb's  employ  sub- 
stantiating the  statement.  Mr.  Holcomb  finally  re- 
tracted the  statement  made  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Adams, 
acknowledged  that  Black  Hawk  was  the  sire  of  Ethan 
Allen,  and  said  that  his  reason  for  writing  such  a  letter 
was,  that  Mr.  Hill  charged  him  a  "big  bill  on  the 
old  mare"  and  he  wrote  the  letter  to  plague  him. 
This  did  not  change  the  minds  of  some,  however,  and 
they  still  insisted  that  Ethan  Allen  was  the  same  color 
as  Flying  Morgan,  and  that  Black  Hawk  was  black, 
hence  Ethan  Allen  must  have  been  got  by  Flying 
Morgan.  The  stud  book  of  Black  Hawk  was  searched 
and  it  was  learned  from  it  that  Joel  Holcomb's  mare 
was  mated  with  Black  Hawk  July  9,  1848;  also  that 
she  was  returned  to  Black  Hawk  June  28,  1849.  As 
she  produced  Ethan  Allen  in  1849,  and  mares  are 
usually    returned    on   the   ninth  or   tenth   day   after 


175 


THE    AMERICA!^    TROTTER. 

foaling,  this  proves  that  Ethan  Allen  was  foaled  June 
-18th  or  19th,  1849. 

Mr.  Adams  and  Mr.  Thompson  claimed  that  it  was 
in  August,  1848,  that  Dr.  Russell  left  Flying  Morgan  at 
Joel  W.  Holcomb's  stable  in  Tieonderoga,  and  notwith- 
standing the  facts  shown  by  the  stud  book  of  Black 
Hawk,  continued  to  assert  that  Ethan  Allen  was  by 
Flying  Morgan.  It  was  known  that  Dr.  Russell  was  a 
very  methodical  man.  His  accounts  were  carefully 
kept,  and  he  also  kept  a  memorandum  book  in  which 
the  events  of  each  and  every  day  were  chronicled. 
Knowing  this  fact,  W.  H.  Bliss,  Esq.,  of  Middlebury, 
Vt,  aided  by  a  son  of  Dr.  Russell,  the  latter  being  dead, 
made  a  thorough  search,  a  few  years  ago,  for  the 
doctor's  old  books,  and  finally  found  them.  The  old 
ledger  of  Dr.  Russell  shows  that  he  bought  an  interest 
in  Flying  Morgan  in  1849,  and  that  he  took  possession 
of  the  horse  in  1850.  The  doctor's  old  memorandum 
books  show  that  it  was  August  6  and  7,  1850,  when 
Flying  Morgan  was  left  at  the  stable  of  Joel  W. 
Holcomb,  Tieonderoga,  N.  Y.  Ethan  Allen  at  that 
time  was  about  thirteen  and  one-half  months  old. 
These  books  of  Dr.  Russell  are  still  preserved  at 
Middlebury,  Vt.  They  and  the  stud  book  of  Vermont 
Black  Hawk  so  effectually  disposed  of  the  Flying 
Morgan  story  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  resur- 
rect it  since  their  discovery. 

The  reason  for  stating  the  above  facts  here  is  that 
many  articles  were  written  several  years  ago  in  which 
arguments  were  presented  to  try  to  prove  that  Flying 
Morgan  and  not  Black  Hawk  was  the  sire  of  Ethan 
Allen.     Some  of  these  articles  mav  come  to  the  notice 


176 


THE    MORGAN    FAMILY. 

of  young  students  of  the  breeding  problem  years  hence, 
who,  not  knowing  all  the  facts,  might  be  misled  by  them 
and  think  that  though  Ethan  Allen  is  given  in  the 
Register  as  a  son  of  Black  Hawk,  articles  to  the 
contrary  in  regard  to  his  paternity  had  not  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  registrar. 

When  a  colt,  Ethan  Allen  showed  that  he  was  a 
born  trotter.  Early  in  life  he  gave  promise  of  great 
speed,  and  Mr.  Holcomb  sold  a  half  interest  in  him 
to  Orville  S.  Roe  of  Shoreham,  Vt.,  a  nephew  of  David 
Hill,  owner  of  Black  Hawk.  When  four  years  old  he 
w^as  matched  against  a  trotter  named  Rose  of  Wash- 
ington, and  beat  her  in  faster  time  than  had  ever  then 
been  made  by  a  trotter  of  that  age.  He  did  some  stud 
service  in  Vermont  in  early  life,  but  was  also  used  on 
the  track,  and  continued  to  improve  in  speed.  On 
October  28,  1858,  he  became  the  world's  champion 
trotting  stallion,  by  taking  a  record  of  2.28.  His  beat 
record  to  harness  was  2.25  1-2,  made  at  Union  Course, 
N.  Y.,  July  12,  1860.  The  performance  which  gave 
him  greatest  notoriety,  however,  was  his  defeat  of  the 
noted  Dexter,  the  world's  champion  trotter,  whose 
record  was  then  2.19,  which  he  afterwards  lowered  to 
2.17  1-4.  In  hi^  match  with  Dexter,  Ethan  Allen  was 
hitched  with  running  mate.  The  race  occurred  at  the 
Fashion  Course,  N.  Y.,  June  21,  1867.  The  time  of 
the  fastest  heat  was  2.15.  The  well  known  horseman, 
Dunn  Walton,  informed  us  a  few  years  ago  that  the 
day  following  the  above  race,  Dan  Mace  drove  Ethan 
Allen  with  a  running  mate  a  trial  mile  in  2.14,  the  last 
half  in  1.04. 


177 


THE    AMERICA!^    TROTTER. 

In  1862,  Messrs.  Holcomb  and  Roe  sold  Ethan  Allen 
to  a  Mr.  Frank  Baker.  After  keeping  the  horse  awhile 
Mr.  Baker  sold  him  to  Dan  Mace  and  Mr.  Walton. 
About  1866,  Ethan  Allen  was  bought  by  J.  E.  Maynard, 
who  kept  a  stable  for  several  years  in  Bowdoin  Square, 
Boston,  on  the  spot  where  the  Bowdoin  Square 
Theatre  now  stands.  Mr.  Maynard  sold  the  horse  to 
Eph.  Simmons,  but  soon  bought  him  back  again,  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1868  sold  him  to  Wesley  P.  Balch,  who 
bought  him  for  Col.  H.  S.  Russell,  proprietor  of  Home 
Farm,  Milton,  and  for  several  years  the  efficient  and 
popular  Fire  Commissioner  of  Boston. 

In  1869  and  1870,  Ethan  Allen  stood  at  Mystic  Park, 
in  charge  of  J.  J.  Bowen,  and  was  well  patronized. 
Mr.  Bowen  has  stated  to  the  writer  that  Ethan  Allen 
was  the  best  gaited  trotter  and  the  best  gentleman's 
roadster  that  he  ever  sat  behind.  In  the  fall  of  1870, 
Col.  Russell  sold  Ethan  Allen  to  Col.  Amasa  Sprague 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  for  |7,500.  Col.  Sprague  kept 
the  horse  in  Rhode  Island  for  a  time,  but  finally  sent 
him  to  the  breeding  farm  at  Lawrence,  Kansas, 
owned  by  Sprague  and  Akers,  and  the  horse  died  there 
September  10,  1876. 

Ethan  Allen  is  credited  with  six  trotters  that  made 
records  in  standard  time,  and  it  is  a  singular  fact 
that  all  of  them  were  begotten  before  he  was  retired 
from  the  turf.  The  fastest  of  his  get  was  Billy  Barr 
(2.23  3-4),  but  his  best  campaigner  was  Hot  Spur 
(2.24),  winner  of  twenty -seven  races.  The  dam  of 
Hot  Spur  was  by  Hale's  Green  Mountain  Morgan. 
Ethan  Allen  is  credited  with  twenty-two  sons  that 
have  sired  standard  speed,  the  most  successful  of  which 


178 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY. 

was  Daniel  Lambert.  Daughters  of  Ethan  Allen  are 
credited  with  nineteen  that  made  standard  records,  all 
trotters.  As  a  sire  of  beautiful,  stylish,  prompt,  cheer- 
ful roadsters  Ethan  Allen  had  no  superior  in  his  day. 
Daniel  Lambert.  Daniel  Lambert,  the  most  noted 
son  of  Ethan  Allen  as  a  sire,  was  bred  by  William  H. 
Cook,  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1858.  When 
only  a  few  days  old  he  was  bought  by  Uncle  John 
Porter  of  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  to  be  delivered  at 
weaning  time  four  months  old  for  |300,  if  we  remember 
correctly.  Mr.  Porter  named  the  colt  Hippomones. 
His  dam  was  by  old  Abdallah,  and  his  second  dam  by 
Stockholm's  American  Star.  The  latter  was  by  Duroc^ 
son  of  imported  Diomed,  and  it  is  stated  upon  good 
authority  that  his  dam  was  inbred  to  imported 
Messenger.  Though  strongly  inbred  to  Messenger^ 
his  size,  conformation,  style,  road  qualities  and  most 
other  characteristics  were  most  emphatically  Morgan. 
He  was  a  light  chestnut  in  color  with  a  white  stripe 
in  his  face  and  left  hind  foot  and  pastern  white.  We 
saw  him  many  times  and  remember  him  as  a  remarkably 
handsome  horse.  When  in  his  prime  no  horse  could 
be  found  that  equalled  him  in  beauty  of  conformation, 
elegance  of  style,  grace  of  carriage  and  poise,  ease  and 
elasticity  of  gait,  excellence  of  quality  and  fineness  of 
finish  combined.  He  was  of  the  Morgan  pattern,  stood 
strong  fifteen  hands  in  height,  and  was  a  horse  of 
substance.  He  had  a  neat,  bony  head,  large,  expressive 
eyes,  set  well  apart,  short,  lively  ears  always  carried 
erect,  a  clean  cut  throttle,  handsomely  arched  neck 
of  good  length,  well  set  upon  strong  oblique  shoulders, 
which  gave  him  an  upheaded,  lofty  appearance.     His 


179 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

back  was  of  medium  length,  and  very  strong,  ribs  well 
sprung  from  the  spine,  giving  him  a  round  barrel, 
which  was  also  deep,  of  good  length  and  well  ribbed 
back  to  the  hips.  His  loin  was  broad  and  well  muscled, 
coupling  strong  and  smooth,  hips  long  and  smoothly 
turned;  croup  rather  straight,  the  whirlbone  and  tail 
set  high,  quarters  strongly  muscled,  hocks  well  lex 
down,  forearms  long,  broad  and  muscular,  canons  short, 
bones  of  the  leg  of  good  size  in  proportion  to  weight  of 
body.  His  hind  leg  was  fairly  straight,  but  the  lower 
part  was  joined  to  the  hock  at  something  of  an  angle, 
giving  the  leg  a  conformation  like  that  found  in  many 
speedy  trotters.  His  pasterns  were  short  and  strong, 
his  feet  well  shaped  and  of  the  right  size  to  harmonize 
with  his  limbs  and  barrel.  The  Morgans  were  the 
handsomest  horses  in  the  world,  and  Daniel  Lambert  in 
his  prime  was  the  handsomest  of  the  Morgan  tribe.  Few 
horses  have  ever  lived  that  possessed  greater  power  of 
stamping  their  likeness  uniformly  upon  their  offspring 
and  imparting  to  them  the  ability  to  perpetuate  their 
good  qualities  through  succeeding  generations,  than 
did  this  renowned  son  of  Ethan  Allen. 

Daniel  Lambert  was  a  fast,  natural  trotter.  He 
showed  so  much  speed  as  a  three-year-old  that  his  own- 
er, Mr.  Porter,  sent  the  colt  to  the  noted  trainer,  Dan 
Mace,  who  handled  him  some  and  started  him  in  a 
three-year-old  race  at  the  Old  Saugus  track,  October 
22,  1861.  Lady  Anderson  won  the  first  heat  in  2.49  1-2, 
but  Daniel  Lambert  took  the  next  two  in  2.43,  2.42. 
After  the  race  Dan  Mace  went  into  the  stand  and  an- 
nounced that  he  would  match  Daniel  Lambert  against 
any  three-year-old  trotter  in  the  world  for  $5,000  or 

180 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

^10,000  a  side.  He  was  a  very  spirited,  "high  strung'*^ 
colt.  It  has  been  stated  upon  good  authority  that  not 
long  after  the  above  race,  while  Dan  Mace  was  work- 
ing him  out  one  day,  Daniel  Lambert  did  something 
that  displeased  Mace  and  he  gave  the  colt  a  sharp^ 
stinging  cut  with  the  whip.  This  roused  the  old  Ab- 
dallah  spirit  in  the  colt,  and,  if  we  were  correctly  in- 
formed, he  ran  two  miles  on  the  track  before  Mace 
could  stop  him.  That  injudicious  blow  spoiled  Daniel 
Lambert  for  a  track  performer,  and  he  was  never  raced 
afterwards. 

When  Lambert  was  coming  five  years  old  Mr.  Por- 
ter sold  him  for  P,000  through  A.  C.  Harris,  to  R.  S. 
Denny.     Mr.  Denny  spent  a  portion  of  the  summer 
months  at  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  and  had  Daniel  Lambert 
taken  there  for  a  road  horse,    Mr.  Harris  informed  the 
writer  that  the  son  of  Ethan  Allen  produced  a  marked 
sensation  at  that  fashionable  resort,  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  his  beauty  and  matchless  style  in  harness,  but 
also  for  his  remarkable  speed  at  the  trot.     He  was  the 
acknowledged  king  of  the  best  roadsters  in  the  coun- 
try, that  were  owned  and  kept  there  by  the  wealthy 
pleasure    seekers  gathered    at  Saratoga.     Mr.    Denny 
finally  sold  Daniel  Lambert  to  Benjamin  Bates,  pro- 
prietor of  the  famous  Bates  farm,  Watertown,  Mass., 
and  Cream  Hill  farm,  Shoreham,  Vt.     The  latter  was 
a  dairy  farm,  stocked  with  choice  Jersey  cows  and 
managed  by  A.  C.  Harris,  who  had  charge  of  Daniel 
Lambert  when  the  horse  was  at  Saratoga.     Mr.  Bates 
sent  the  horse,  which  had  then  been  named  Daniel 
Lambert,    to  Mr.  Harris    at  Cream  Hill  farm    in  the 
spring  or  early  summer  of  1866,  with  instructions  to 


181 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

istand  him  for  stock  purposes.  Lambert  made  twelve 
seasons  at  Shoreham  and  received  a  very  generous  pat- 
ronage. During  those  twelve  seasons  upwards  of  1,040 
mares  were  mated  with  him.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Bates  in  the  fall  of  1877,  Daniel  Lambert  was  sent  to 
the  Bates  farm,  Watertown,  Mass.,  where  he  stood  for 
three  seasons  in  charge  of  that  courteous  horseman, 
William  Tourtelotte.  In  1880  Gen.  W.  T.  Withers, 
proprietor  of  the  world-renowned  Fairlawn  farm,  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  and  then  one  of  the  best-posted  of  all  the 
trotting  horse  breeders  in  America,  visited  Boston  for 
the  purpose  of  inspecting  Daniel  Lambert  and  his  get, 
and  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  horse  that  he  ar- 
ranged with  a  prominent  business  man  of  Boston  to 
buy  him.  The  General  believed  Lambert  just  suited  to 
the  mares  at  Fairlawn.  Before  the  deal  was  complet- 
ed, however,  David  Snow  of  this  city  bought  the 
horse,  then  coming  twenty-three  years  old,  for  |3,500, 
and  sent  him  to  his  farm  in  Andover,  Mass. 

At  the  close  of  1880  Daniel  Lambert  was  credited 
with  eighteen  trotters  in  the  2.30  list,  a  greater  number 
than  stood  to  the  credit  of  any  other  sire  then  living, 
and  of  any  other  sire  that  had  ever  lived,  except  Rys- 
dyk's  Hambletonian,  that  was  then  credited  with  thir- 
ty-three. Mr.  Snow  advanced  the  service  fee  of  Dan- 
iel Lambert  to  |200  the  first  season  that  he  stood  him 
at  Andover.  Believing  that  the  horse  was  the  greatest 
sire  that  ever  lived,  Mr.  Snow  advanced  Lambert's  fee 
to  1500  the  second  season.  In  the  fall  of  1884  Mr. 
Snow  disposed  of  all  his  trotting  stock  at  auction. 
Daniel  Lambert  was  shown  to  bridle  at  this  sale,  with 
his  groom  running  by  his  side,  and  was  that  day  the 

182 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY. 

most  elegant,  aristocratic  appearing  and  easiest  mov- 
ing horse  that  we  ever  saw  shown  that  way.  The  bid- 
ding on  him  was  spirited  and  Mr.  J.  D.  Ryder  of  Mid- 
dlebury,  Vt.,  who  represented  a  syndicate  of  horse- 
men, secured  him  for  |1,550.  The  horse  was  taken  to 
Middlebury,  Vt.,  and  kept  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  June  29,  1889.  He  was  then  upwards  of 
thirty-one  years  old,  but  was  as  sound  and  free  from 
blemishes  as  when  foaled. 

No  other  horse  of  his  day  did  as  much  to  improve 
the  beauty,  style  and  road  qualities  of  the  horse  stock 
of  New  England  as  Daniel  Lambert.  As  a  family  the 
descendants  of  Daniel  Lambert  are  very  sensitive  ani- 
mals. They  resent  harsh  treatment  most  emphatically. 
Rough,  loud-voiced  persons  who  are  accustomed  to 
yank  their  horses  by  the  bit  and  use  the  whip  freely  had 
better  pass  them  by  and  confine  themselves  to  animals 
of  a  more  lethargic  temperament.  Treated  gently  but 
firmly,  as  all  intelligent,  high-spirited  horses  should  be 
treated,  they  are  as  docile  and  obedient  as  any  reason- 
able man  can  wish.  Many  of  the  get  of  Daniel  Lam- 
bert were  handsome  enough  and  stylish  enough  to  win 
blue  ribbons  in  the  show  ring,  and  he  perpetuated  these 
desirable  qualities  through  a  large  proportion  of  his 
sons  and  daughters.  Many  of  his  fastest  trotters  and 
best  roadsters  were  from  dams  of  Black  Hawk  descent, 
as  were  also  his  five  most  successful  sons  as  sires. 
Daniel  Lambert  is  credited  with  thirty-eight  that  have 
made  records  in  standard  time,  all  pure-gaited  ti'otters. 
He  is  also  credited  with  thirty-six  sons  that  have  sired 
one  hundred  and  twenty -two  trotters  and  thirty  pacers 
with  standard  records.    As  a  brood  mare  sire  he  wa* 

183 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

far  superior  to  any  other  stallion  that  has  ever  stood 
in  New  England,  and,  opportunities  considered,  will 
rank  high  in  this  respect  among  the  best  that  ever  lived. 
His  daughters  have  already  produced  not  less  than 
olie  hundred  and  nine  that  have  made  records  in  stand- 
ard time,  and  eighty-nine  of  them  are  trotters.  The 
fastest  performers  and  best  campaigners  got  by  many 
prominent  trotting  sires  have  been  from  daughters  of 
Daniel  Lambert. 

Ben  Franklin  (2.29).  The  most  successful  sons  of 
Daniel  Lambert  as  sires  were  Ben  Franklin  (2.29), 
Aristos  (2.27  3-4),  Star  Ethan,  Cobden  (2.28  3-4),  and 
Abraham.  Ben  Franklin  (2.29)  is  credited  with  thir- 
ty-three trotters  and  three  pacers  that  have  made  stand- 
ard records.  He  is  also  credited  with  ten  sons  that 
have  sired  2.30  speed,  and  his  daughters  have  produced 
twenty-five  with  standard  records,  sixteen  of  which  are 
trotters.  The  dam  of  Ben  Franklin  was  Black  Kate 
(dam  of  Addison  Lambert,  2.27),  by  Addison,  a  son 
of  Vermont  Black  Hawk. 

Aristos  (2.27  3-4).  Aristos  (2.27  3-4)  is  credited 
with  twenty-five  trotters  and  five  pacers  that  have 
taken  standard  records ;  also  with  twelve  sons  that  have 
sired  standard  speed,  the  best  of  which  is  Gillig 
(2.23  1-2) .  Daughters  of  Aristos  have  produced  twelve 
trotters  and  seven  pacers  that  have  taken  records  in 
standard  time.  The  dam  of  Aristos  was  Fanny  Jack- 
son, that  also  produced  Annie  Page  (2.271-4),  M.  Y. 
D.  Colt  (2.28  3-4),  and  Miss  Fanny  Jackson  (2.30). 
Four  of  the  sons  of  Fanny  Jackson  have  sired  stand- 
ard performers  and  five  of  her  daughters  have  produced 
trotters    that   have   taken    standard    records.     Fanny 


184 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

Jackson  was  by  Stonewall  Jackson,  a  son  of  William- 
son's Black  Hawk,  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk,  and  her 
dam,  Betty  Condon,  was  by  North  American,  a  son 
of  the  running-bred  Sir  Walter. 

Star  Ethan.  Star  Ethan  is  credited  with  nine 
trotters  and  two  pacers  that  have  taken  standard  rec- 
ords; also  with  one  son  that  has  sired  and  one  daugh- 
ter that  has  produced  standard  speed.  The  dam  of 
Star  Ethan  was  Queen  of  Vermont,  by  the  Churchill 
Horse,  a  son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk. 

CoBDEN  (2.28  3-4).  Cobden  (2.28  3-4)  is  credited 
with  two  trotters  and  six  pacers  that  have  made  stand- 
ard records,  including  Helen  M.  (2.17),  that  has  taken 
standard  records  at  both  gaits.  Helen  M.  was  the  first 
trotter  ever  bred  in  New  England  to  trot  to  a  record  of 
2.30  or  better  as  a  two-year-old.  She  was  foaled  in  1887 
and  astonished  the  horsemen  at  the  New  England 
Breeders'  meeting.  Mystic  Park,  September  24,  1889, 
by  winning  the  stake  for  New  England  bred  two-year- 
olds  and  taking  a  race  record  of  2.29  1-4.  Four  days 
later,  at  the  same  meeting,  she  was  started  against  time 
to  beat  2.29  1-4  and  reduced  her  record  to  2.28.  Cob- 
den bore  a  stronger  resemblance  to  his  famous  sire,  in 
conformation,  color  and  general  characteristics,  than 
any  of  the  other  sons  of  Daniel  Lambert  that  we  ever 
saw.  He  died  young  and  left  but  few  foals.  He  was 
an  example  of  very  close  inbreeding.  His  sire,  Daniel 
Lambert,  was  by  Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2)  and  from  Fan- 
nie Cook  by  old  Abdallah.  His  dam,  Clara,  w^as  also 
by  Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2),  and  from  the  Dr.  Nixon 
Mare  by  old  Abdallah.  This  Clara,  the  dam  of  Cob- 
den,  was   also   the   dam   of   Clara   Morris    (2.291-4). 


185 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Had  Cobden  lived  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  would 
have  proved  the  most  successful  son  of  Daniel  Lambert 
as  a  sire. 

Abraham.  Abraham  is  credited  with  six  trotters 
and  one  pacer  that  have  made  standard  records.  None 
of  his  sons  sired  a  standard  performer,  but  his  daugh- 
ters produced  five  trotters  and  two  pacers  that  took 
standard  records,  one  of  which  was  Monopole,  trotting 
record  2.231-4,  and  pacing  2.081-2.  The  dam  of 
Abraham  was  Polly  Cook,  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk. 
The  Ethan  Allen  branch  of  the  Vermont  Black  Hawk 
family  bids  fair  to  become  extinct  within  a  few  years. 
Very  few  stallions  of  that  family  are  now  kept  for  ser- 
vice, and  those  few  are  not  receiving  as  much  patro- 
nage as  their  merits  deserve. 

Gen.  Knox  (2.311-2).  Next  to  the  Ethan  Allen 
branch  of  the  Vermont  Black  Hawk  family,  the  Gen. 
Knox  (2.31 1-2)  branch  has  proved  most  successful  in 
producing  and  perpetuating  speed.  Gen.  Knox  was  a 
black  horse  with  a  star  on  the  forehead  and  snip  on 
upper  lip.  His  nose,  flanks  and  stifles  were  brown. 
He  stood  about  15.2  hands  high  and  weighed  about 
ten  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  His  conformation 
was  suggestive  of  power  rather  than  elegance.  He  was 
a  good-gaited,  level-headed  trotter  and  fast  for  his  day. 
He  was  also  a  sound  horse  and  an  excellent  roadster. 
He  was  bred  by  David  Heustis,  Bridport,  Vt.,  and 
foaled  in  1855.  He  was  got  by  Vermont  Hero,  a  son 
of  Sherman  Black  Hawk,  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk. 
His  dam  was  by  Searcher,  a  son  of  Barney  Henry,  he 
by  Signal,  a  son  of  Sir  Henry,  by  Sir  Archy;  second 
dam  a  fast  runner,  that  was  claimed  to  be  by  a  Morgan 


186 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY, 

horse,  and  from  a  mare  by  Post  Boy.  The  latter  was 
by  Sir  Henry,  son  of  Sir  Archy;  dam  Garland,  by 
Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed;  second  dam  Young 
Miller's  Damsel,  by  Bishop's  Hambletonian,  a  son  of 
imported  Messenger;  and  third  dam  the  famous  race- 
winning  runner  Miller's  Damsel,  by  imported  Mes- 
senger. 

When  young,  Gen.  Knox  was  named  Slasher.  He 
was  bought  by  D.  A.  Bennett,  Bridport,  Vt.  Mr.  Ben- 
nett sold  him  when  two  years  old  to  Messrs.  Denny 
and  Bush,  and  they  sold  him  when  three  years  old  to 
Col.  T.  S.  Lang,  Vassalboro,  Me.  Mr.  Lang  took  the 
colt  to  Vassalboro  and  placed  him  in  charge  of  Foster 
S.  Palmer,  who  developed  his  speed,  raced  him  and 
handled  him  in  the  stud  during  all  the  years  that 
the  horse  was  kept  in  Maine.  In  September,  1864,  after 
upwards  of  one  hundred  mares  had  been  mated  with 
him  that  season,  and  before  the  season  had  closed,  Mr. 
Palmer  took  Gen.  Knox  to  the  New  England  Fair  at 
Springfield,  Mass.,  where  he  won  the  stallion  race  with 
him  in  straight  heats,  time  2.31 1-2,  2.37,  2.34  1-2.  The 
evening  following  the  race  Col.  Lang  received  several 
offers  for  Gen.  Knox.  The  highest  was  $30,000,  but  it 
was  declined.  Mr.  Palmer  won  several  races  with  Gen. 
Knox,  and  once  drove  him  a  half  mile  in  1.12. 

During  the  first  few  seasons  that  he  stood  in  Maine, 
Gen.  Knox  received  only  a  limited  patronage,  but  after 
his  merits  as  a  trotter  and  sire  of  speed  were  estab- 
lished he  did  a  very  large  stud  service. 

Gen.  Knox  was  bought  in  the  spring  of  1871  by  F.  J. 
Nodine  of  New  York  City,  who  was  acting  as  agent  for 
the  real  purchaser,  Henry  N.  Smith,  Esq.,  proprietor  of 


187 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Fashion  Farm,  Trenton,  N.  J.  It  was  Mr.  Smith's  in- 
tention to  race  the  horse.  He  was  entered  in  a  race 
at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  was  conditioned  at  Prospect 
Park,  where  he  trotted  a  mile  in  2.25  1-2,  and  repeated 
well  within  himself  in  2.24.  Shortly  after  this  work- 
out he  was  shipped  to  Buffalo  and  placed  in  a  new 
stall.  The  floor  of  the  stall  was  slippery  and  Gen. 
Knox  wrenched  a  fore  leg  so  severely  by  slipping  in  his 
stall  that  he  was  unable  to  start  in  the  race. 

Gen.  Knox  stood  for  service  the  season  of  1872  in 
Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1873  was  taken  to 
Fashion  Stud  Farm,  N.  J.,  the  home  of  the  stallion 
Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2),  also  home  of  the  famous  trotting 
mares.  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  Lucy  (2.181-4),  and 
later  of  the  renowned  world's  champion  trotter,  Gold- 
smith Maid  (2.14).  The  quality  and  reputation  of 
Maine  horses  were  greatly  improved  through  the  in- 
fluence of  Gen.  Knox,  and  the  sales  of  his  progeny  put 
a  vast  amount  of  money  into  the  pockets  of  the  breed- 
ers there.  Descendants  of  his  sons  and  daughters  are 
still  found  in  all  parts  of  that  State.  They  are  excel- 
lent family  and  all-purpose  animals ;  most  of  them  can 
show  speed,  and  some  are  fast.  The  produce  of  mares 
of  Knox  descent  when  by  stallions  that  are  descendants 
of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  make  very  desirable  animals 
for  the  speedway  and  race  track. 

Gen.  Knox  lived  to  be  upwards  of  thirty -two  years 
old.  He  died  at  Fashion  Stud  Farm.  Trenton,  ]N.  J., 
July  29,  1887.  He  is  credited  with  fifteen  that  made 
records  from  2.18  1-4  to  2.30,  all  trotters.  Lady  Maud 
(2.181-4),  by  him,  was  the  first  trotter  to  take  so  fast 
a  record  as  2.22  1-4  as  a  five-vear-old.     He  is  credited 


188 


THE    MORGAN   FAMILY. 

with  thirty-two  sons  that  have  sired  eighty-two  trot- 
ters and  fifteen  pacers  with  standard  records.  His 
daughters  produced  thirty-nine  trotters  and  ten  pacers 
that  made  records  in  standard  time. 

Charles  Cafprey.  The  most  successful  of  Gen. 
Knox's  sons  as  perpetuators  of  speed  were  Gen.  Wash- 
ington and  Charles  Caffrey.  The  dam  of  Charles  Caf- 
frey  was  Rosalind  (2.213-4)  by  Alexander's  Abdallah, 
and  his  second  dam  was  the  Burch  mare  (dam  of  Don- 
ald, 2.27),  by  Parker's  Brown  Pilot.  The  latter  was 
by  the  pacer  Old  Copperbottom,  and  his  dam  was  by 
Cherokee,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Sir  Archy.  Charles 
Caffrey  is  the  sire  of  nineteen  trotters  and  six  pacers 
with  standard  records.  The  fastest  of  these  is  Giles 
Noyes  (2.051-4).  Only  a  few  of  the  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  Charles  Caffrey  seem  to  have  possessed  the  abil- 
ity to  perpetuate  speed.  Four  of  his  sons  are  credited 
with  2.30  performers  to  date,  and  these  four  are  credit- 
ed with  only  nine  performers  all  told  in  the  2.30  list, 
five  of  which  are  pacers.  Daughters  of  Charles  Caffrey 
are  credited  with  four  trotters  and  three  pacers  that 
have  made  standard  records. 

Gen.  Washington.  Gen.  Washington  was  the  most 
successful  son  of  Gen.  Knox  as  a  speed  perpetuator. 
His  dam  was  the  famous  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  the 
fastest  trotter  got  by  Mambrino  Chief.  Gen.  Wash 
ington  is  the  sire  of  fifteen  with  standard  records,  all 
trotters.  The  fastest  of  them  is  Poem  (2.11 1-2) .  The 
dam  of  Poem  was  Sonnet  (dam  of  Prose,  2.16  1-4,  etc.), 
by  Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2).  Second  dam  Martense  Maid 
(dam  of  Rumor,  2.20),  by  Jackson's  Flying  Cloud,  a 
son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.     Poem  is  the  sire  of 


189 


THE   AMERICAN   TROTTER. 

eleven  trotters  and  six  pacers  that  have  made  stand- 
ard records,  the  fastest  of  which  to  date  is  Lady 
Pauline  C.  (2.151-4).  None  of  Poem's  sons  have  yet 
sired  a  2.30  performer,  and  his  daughters  have  pro- 
duced but  one,  the  pacer  In  Time  (2.171-2). 

Stranger.  The  most  noted  son  of  Gen.  Washing- 
ton as  a  sire  is  Stranger.  The  dam  of  Stranger  vras 
the  world-renowned  Goldsmith  Maid  (2.14)  by  Alex- 
ander's Abdallah.  Stranger  has  no  record,  but  he  is 
the  sire  of  forty  in  the  2.30  list,  all  trotters.  The 
fastest  of  these  is  Colonel  Kuser  (2.11 1-4),  whose  dam 
was  Inez  by  Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2) ;  second  dam,  West- 
ern Girl  (2.27)  by  Richard's  Bellfounder,  a  descendant 
of  the  running-bred  Blucher  by  Duroc.  Stranger  has 
doubtless  been  favored  with  a  better  class  of  patrons 
than  any  other  stallion  of  the  Vermont  Black  Hawk 
family,  and  with  the  rich  trotting  and  speed  inheri- 
tance which  he  received  from  the  renowned  Lady  Thorn 
(2.181-4),  the  dam  of  his  sire,  combined  with  that 
from  his  own  dam,  the  still  more  renowned  Goldsmith 
Maid  (2.14),  the  most  wonderful  trotter  that  ever 
lived,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  is  proving  more  suc- 
cessful as  a  sire  and  perpetuator  than  any  other  re- 
mote descendant  in  the  paternal  line  of  Vermont  Black 
Hawk.  One  of  the  mares  that  was  mated  with  Stran- 
ger was  Sapphire.  Her  sire  was  Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2), 
and  her  dam  was  Lucy  (2.181-4),  the  fastest  trotter 
got  by  the  old-time  world's  champion  trotting  stallion, 
George  M.  Patchen  (2.231-2).  Two  of  the  foals  that 
Sapphire  produced  by  Stranger  were  the  stallions 
Nominee  (2.171-4),  and  Nominator  (2.171-4).  Gold- 
smith Maid   (2.14),  Lady  Thorn   (2.181-4)   and  Lucy 


190 


THE   MORGAN   FAMILY. 

(2.18 1-4)  were  the  three  fastest  trotters  of  their  day 
in  the  Hambletonian,  Mambrino  Chief  and  Clay  trot- 
ting families.  Their  blood  is  all  combined  with  that 
of  Gen.  Knox  (2.31 1-2)  in  these  stallions,  Nominee- 
(2.17  1-4)  and  Nominator  (2.17  1-4) ;  also  in  Syndic,, 
whose  dam,  Sybil,  was  the  sister  of  Sapphire. 

Stranger  is  credited  with  ten  sons  that  have  sired 
performers  with  standard  records.  They  are  Bursar 
(2.171-2),  foaled  in  1891,  sire  of  seven  trotters;  Mo- 
loch (2.17),  foaled  in  1888,  sire  of  six  trotters  and  one 
pacer;  Spokane  (2.15  3-4),  foaled  in  1888,  sire  of  five 
trotters;  Boodle  (2.121-2),  foaled  in  1886,  sire  of  four 
trotters  and  one  pacer;  Col.  Kuser  (2.11 1-4),  foaled  in 
1890,  sire  of  four  trotters  and  two  pacers;  Syndic, 
foaled  in  1886,  sire  of  three  trotters;  Nominee 
(2.17  1-4),  foaled  in  1885,  sire  of  one  trotter  and  three 
pacers;  Nominator  (2.171-4),  foaled  in  1887,  sire  of 
one  trotter  and  one  pacer ;  and  Fashion,  foaled  in  1885, 
sire  of  one  pacer. 

The  second  dams  of  Bursar  (2.17 1-2)  and  Boodle 
(2.12  1-2)  are  by  Ethan  Allen  (2.25  1-2)  and  the  sec- 
ond dam  of  Spokane  (2.15  3-4)  by  Gen.  Knox  (2.31 1-2). 
The  fastest  performer  sired  by  Stranger  or  any  of  his 
sons  is  Evolute  (2.101-2),  a  full  sister  of  Evolutio 
(2.13  3-4),  got  by  Nominee  (2.171-4).  It  would  seem 
that  the  only  hope  of  perpetuating  the  Vermont  Black 
Hawk  line  is  through  some  son  of  Stranger.  But 
should  the  Black  Hawk  family  become  absorbed  or 
swallowed  up  by  the  Hambletonian  family,  as  seems 
probable,  the  cross  will  always  be  recognized  as  a  most 
valuable  one  in  a  light  harness  pedigree  where  beauty, 
style   and    superior   road    qualities    are    appreciated. 

191 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

That  this  cross  is  not  detrimental  to  speed  and  race- 
winning  qualities  of  the  highest  order  has  been  decis- 
ively demonstrated.  It  is  found  in  the  pedigree  of 
Dan  Patch  (1.56),  that  holds  the  world's  champion 
pacing  record,  and  in  that  of  Major  Delmar  (1.59  3-4), 
next  to  Lou  Dillon  (1.58  1-2) ,  the  fastest  trotter  yet  pro- 
duced. It  occurs  in  the  pedigrees  of  Fantasy  (3) 
(2.08  3-4);  Grace  Bond  (3)  (2.091-4)  and  Alta  Ax- 
worthy (3)  (2.101-2),  the  three  greatest  three-year- 
old  trotters  yet  produced.  It  is  also  found  in  the  ped- 
igrees of  Tiverton  (2.04  1-2)  and  Sweet  Marie  (2.04  3-4), 
two  of  the  fastest,  gamiest  and  stoutest  race  trotters 
yet  produced,  as  was  proven  by  their  performance  in 
that  great  Transylvanian  five-heat  race  at  Lexington, 
Ky.,  October  6,  1904. 


192 


Chapter  VII. 
EXTINCT  TROTTING  FAMILIES. 


Seely's  American  Star. — The  Champion  Family. — Scobey's 
Champion. — Gooding's  Champion. — Charley  B.,  (2.25). — 
The  Benton  Family. — Alexander's  Norman. — Blackwood 
74. — Swigert. — The  Royal  George  Family. — Thomas  Jeffer- 
son  (2.23). 

In  the  preceding  chapters  an  attempt  has  been  made 
to  give  a  concise,  impartial  history  of  the  origin  and 
progress  of  the  four  leading  trotting  families  of  this 
country.  Many  families  of  minor  importance  have 
sprung  up  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  flourished 
for  a  time  and  then  disappeared,  or  have  been  ab- 
sorbed by  one  or  the  other  of  the  four  families  de- 
scribed. One  that  contributed  largely  to  the  speed  and 
racing  qualities  of  the  Hambletonian  family  was  that 
founded  by  Seely's  American  Star. 

Seely's  American  Star.  The  origin  and  breeding  of 
this  horse  have  been  the  subject  of  considerable  con- 
troversy, Mr.  Joseph  Battell  believes  that  he  was  a 
lineal  descendant  in  the  paternal  line  of  Justin  Mor- 
gan, and  has  presented  evidence  to  show  that  such  was 

193 


TEE   AMERICAN   TROTTER, 

the  fact.  We  have  the  highest  regard  for  Mr.  BattelFs 
integrity  and  know  him  to  be  sincere;  but  if  we  re- 
member correctly,  one  of  his  chief  witnesses  was  a  very 
estimable  lady,  who  was  quite  a  young  girl  at  the  time 
that  the  horse  believed  by  Mr.  Battell  to  have  sired 
Seely^s  American  Star  was  in  existence.  The  testi- 
mony of  such  persons,  when  given  from  memory,  must 
be  weighed  carefully  when  it  conflicts  with  the  testi- 
mony of  those  who  are  experts  in  the  business  of 
tracing  and  unraveling  pedigrees.  In  his  first  volume 
of  the  American  Trotting  Register,  Mr.  John  H.  Wal- 
lace registered  this  horse  as  follows :  "American  Star 
(Seely's),  ch.  h.,  foaled  1837,  got  by  Stockholm's 
American  Star;  dam  by  Sir  Henry,  2297;  gd  by  im- 
ported Messenger,  and  claimed  to  be  thoroughbred. 
Bred  by  Henry  H.  Berry,  Esq.,  Pompton  Plains,  N.  J. 
Owned  the  latter  years  of  his  life  by  Edmond  Seely, 
Orange  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  foaled  1861."  Mr.  Wallace  was  one 
of  the  most  expert  trotting  pedigree  tracers  that  has 
ever  lived.  On  page  43  of  the  above-named  work  he 
made  the  following  statements  concerning  the  above 
horse : 

American  Star  was  got  by  Stockholm's  American  Star;  dam 
by  Henry  (Sir  Henry),  the  competitor  of  (American)  Eclipse, 
grandam  by  imported  Messenger.    This  is  getting  back  to 
the  fountain  very  direct,  but  the  pedigree  is  sustained  by  such 
circumstances  as  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  its  correctness.    He 
was  bred  by  Esquire  Berry  of  Pompton  Plains,  N.  J.,  and 
owned  several  of  the  latter  years  of  his  life  by  Edmond 
Seely,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.    This  horse's  history  and  pedi- 
gree have  been  wrapped  in  obscurity  till,  at  the  expense  of  a 
good  deal  of  time  and  money,  I  have  traced  him  step  by  step 
through  his  whole  career.    ♦    ♦    *    His  sire  was  Stockholm's 
American  Star,  a  son  of  Duroc.    Duroc  was  a  son  of  Diomed^ 


194 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

and  Henry  (sire  of  the  dam  of  Seely's  American  Star)  was  a 
double  grandson  of  Diomed.  Their  blood  commingled  kindly 
with  the  blood  of  Messenger  and  produced  some  wonderful 
race  horses,  and  not  a  few  capital  trotters;  but  no  person 
ever  saw  a  Henry  or  a  Duroc  trot  without  Messenger  blood  in 
his  veins.  The  Messengers  could  trot  without  the  Diomeds, 
but  the  Diomeds  could  not  trot  without  the  Messengers. 
Hence  American  Star  is  indebted  to  his  grandam,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Messenger,  for  the  trotting  action  he  possessed  and 
imparted  to  his  progeny;  and  he  is  indebted  to  Duroc  for  the 
tenderness  of  limb  observable  in  so  many  of  his  descendants. 

The  volume  from  which  the  above  is  copied  was  en- 
tered according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  1871.  Mr. 
Wallace,  as  all  who  knew  him  personally  or  through 
his  writings  are  aware,  was  a  man  noted  for  strong 
prejudices;  so  strong  in  fact  that  his  better  judgment 
was  sometimes  warped  thereby.  Several  years  after 
the  above  was  published  Mr.  Wallace  became  so  strong- 
ly prejudiced  against  a  thoroughbred  or  running  cross 
in  a  trotter  that  he  undertook  to  eliminate  or  suppress 
running  crosses  in  several  well  known  trotting  pedi- 
grees. On  flimsy,  third-hand,  hearsay  evidence,  he 
changed  the  sire  of  North  American  from  the  running 
bred  Sir  Walter  to  a  large  pacing  horse  that  was 
used  to  haul  a  water  cart.  He  also  denied  that  Seely's 
American  Star  was  by  Stockholm's  American  Star  and 
asserted  that  even  if  he  were,  nobody  knew  the  breeding 
of  Stockholm's  American  Star.  We  believe  Mr.  Wal- 
lace stated  the  truth  in  Volume  1  of  the  American 
Trotting  Register  when  he  asserted  that  he  had  "at  the 
expense  of  a  good  deal  of  time  and  money,  traced 
Seely's  American  Star  through  his  whole  career  and 
learned  that  he  was  by  Stockholm's  American  Star; 


195 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

dam  by  Heury,  son  of  Sir  Archy,  and  second  dam  by 
Imported  Messenger.''  It  is  not  probable  that  a  man 
of  Mr.  Wallace's  natural  ability  and  great  experience 
in  tracing  pedigrees  would  be  deceived  or  misled  in 
regard  to  this  important  pedigree  which  cost  him  so 
much  time  and  money  to  investigate. 

But  little  is  known  of  Stockholm's  American  Star. 
The  most  complete  description  of  him  that  we  have 
ever  seen  was  contained  in  a  letter  written  to  H.  T. 
Helm,  Esq.,  author  of  American  Roadsters  and 
Trotters,  by  Mr.  Ambrose  Stevens  of  Batavia,  N.  Y., 
and  is  as  follows : 

Now  while  my  hand  is  in  I  will  tell  you  something  about 
Stockholm's  American  Star.  I  saw  him  run  and  win  his  two- 
mile  race  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1830.  He  was  one  of 
the  grandest  horses  I  ever  saw;  fine  size,  splendid  dappled 
chestnut,  quite  dark,  and  dappled  beautifully;  had  a  white 
foot  behind,  a  star  and  snip,  arched  neck,  high  withers  (not 
like  old  Duroc  there  and  most  of  his  get),  had  a  neat  head, 
level  rump,  and  was  altogether  one  of  the  grandest  horses  I 
ever  saw.  His  trotting  action  was  splendid  and  ne  had  to 
be  whipped  to  force  him  to  gallop.  Mr.  Stockholm  (his 
owner)  told  me  that  his  dam  was  by  Mambrino,  son  of  Mes- 
senger, and  his  grandam  was  by  Imported  Messenger,  and  I 
made  a  memorandum  of  it;  and  he  agreed  to  consider  my 
proposition  to  sell  me  the  horse,  but  the  treaty  came  to 
nothing.  Stockholm  represented  the  horse  thoroughbred  and 
the  horse  showed  it.  He  won  a  game  race,  and  would  in 
this  day  be  a  trotter  of  the  first  class. 

The  above  is  very  interesting,  as  it  comes  from  a  man 
who  was  a  good  judge  of  horse  stock  and  who  owned 
good  horses.  Being  by  such  a  sire  as  that,  Seely's 
American  Star  had  a  right  to  be  a  good  gaited  trotter 
as  well  as  fast  runner. 


196 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

Seely's  American  Star  was  foaled  in  1837.  He  was 
chestnut  in  color,  with  a  stripe  in  his  face  and  two 
white  stockings  behind.  He  is  described  by  those  who 
knew  him  as  a  racy,  blood-like  appearing  animal,  with 
a  slim  tail  that  was  not  burdened  with  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  hair.  He  was  trained  at  first  as  a  runner, 
and  gained  quite  a  local  reputation  as  a  short  distance 
race  winner.  Later  in  life  he  was  converted  to  the 
trot,  and  was  quite  fast  at  that  gait  for  that  early 
day.  He  sired  a  few  trotters,  the  fastest  of  which  by 
the  records  was  Widow  Machree  (2.29).  There  were 
others  by  him  that  could  show  much  more  speed  than 
Widow  Machree.  One  of  them  was  a  mare  called 
Peerless,  owned  by  Kobert  Bonner.  Upwards  of  forty 
years  ago  Peerless  could  and  did  trot  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  at  a  two-minute  gait.  The  noted  old  time  reins- 
man,  Hiram  Woodruff,  says  of  her  in  his  Trotting 
Horse  of  America,  page  84 :  "I  drove  Mr.  Bonner's 
gray  mare.  Peerless,  a  quarter  in  thirty  seconds,  and 
it  was  to  a  wagon.  ...  It  was  on  the  Union 
Course.  Captain  Moore  timed  her  unknown  to  me  or 
anybody  else.  ...  To  make  sure  that  there  was 
no  mistake  in  the  distance,  he  went  and  got  his  chain 
and  boy  and  measured  the  ground."  Very  few  of  the 
fastest  trotters  of  today  could  pull  the  kind  of  wagons 
in  use  at  that  time  a  quarter  in  thirty  seconds. 

Seely's  American  Star  was  the  sire  of  four  trotters 
that  took  records  of  2.30  or  better.  Seven  of  his  sons 
sired  standard  performers.  He  was  the  most  noted 
brood  mare  sire  of  his  day.  His  daughters  produced 
forty -eight  trotters  and  one  pacer  with  standard 
records.     They  also  produced  not  less  than  fifty-eight 


197 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

stallions  that  have  sired  2.30  speed,  the  most  prominent 
of  which  are  Robert  McGregor  (2.171-2),  sire  of  the 
world's  champion  trotting  stallion  Oresceus  (2.02 1-4, 
etc.),  Dictator,  Aberdeen,  Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2),  Sweep- 
stakes, Masterlode,  Strader's  Hambletonian  (also 
known  as  Squire  Talmage),  Ajax  and  Arthurton. 

The  descendants  of  Seely's  American  Star  were  more 
noted  for  courage  of  the  win-or-die  stamp  than  those 
of  any  other  trotting  stallion,  either  before  or  since 
his  time.  His  daughters  mated  with  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian produced  the  fastest  and  best  trotters  of  their 
day,  including  the  old-time  world's  champion.  Dexter 
(2.17  1-4).  Dictator,  a  full  brother  of  Dexter,  got  the 
renowned  double-gaited  performer,  Jay-Eye-See,  the 
first  trotter  to  take  so  fast  a  record  as  2.10.  Eight 
years  after  Jay-Eye-See  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.10  he 
made  a  pacing  record  of  2.06 1-4.  A  daughter  of 
Dictator  produced  the  noted  ex-champion  trotter 
Nancy  Hanks  (2.04).  Director  (2.17),  a  son  of  Dic- 
tator, sired  the  world's  champion  four-year-old  trotter 
Directum  (2.051-4).  This  family  is  now  extinct,  but 
the  influence  that  Seely's  American  Star  exerted 
through  his  daughters  upon  the  Hambletonian  family, 
in  the  improvement  of  speed  or  increase  of  speed 
ability  and  other  valuable  racing  qualities,  will  last 
as  long  as  trotters  are  bred  in  America. 

The  Champion  Family.  Another  trotting  family 
that  was  quite  prominent  at  one  time,  but  has  become 
nearly  extinct,  is  that  known  as  the  Champion.  This 
family  originated  from  the  same  source,  in  the  paternal 
line,  as  Abdallah,  the  sire  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
founder  of  the  renowned  Hambletonian  family.     Mr. 


198 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

John  Tredwell,  who  bred  old  Abdallah,  had  a  pair  of 
matched  mares  that  he  used  for  his  private  driving. 
They  were  named  Amazonia  and  Sophonisba.  In  1822 
Mr.  Tredwell  mated  these  mares  with  Mambrino,  a 
thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Messenger.  Both  pro- 
duced colt  foals.  That  of  Amazonia  was  old  Abdallah. 
Sophonisba^s  colt  was  named  Almack  and  was  kept 
for  stock  purposes.  In  1842  a  mare  called  Spirit  was 
mated  with  Almack.  Spirit  was  by  Engineer  2d,  and 
her  dam  was  a  daughter  of  the  great  four-mile  race 
winner  American  Eclipse.  This  Engineer  2d  got  the 
renowned  Lady  Suffolk  (2.291-2),  the  world's  cham- 
pion trotter  in  her  day.  The  following  year,  1843, 
Spirit  produced  a  chestnut  colt  with  white  ankles 
behind  and  a  white  spot  in  the  form  of  a  diamond 
on  his  nose  or  upper  lip.  When  this  colt  was  two 
years  old  he  was  bought  by  Mr.  William  R.  Grinnell 
of  New  York  State  for  |550.  Mr.  Grinnell  named  him 
Champion,  and  he  is  now  known  as  GrinnelPs  Cham- 
pion. He  was  a  born  trotter.  It  is  a  matter  of 
history  that  in  September,  when  two  years  old  past,  he 
was  led  a  mile  at  the  trot  on  Fashion  course,  Long 
Island,  in  3.05  1-2,  a  performance  that  had  up  to  that 
time  never  been  equalled  by  a  trotter  of  that  age. 
GrinnelPs  Champion  never  got  a  2.30  trotter,  but  he 
was  the  founder  of  the  family  of  trotters  known  as 
Champion. 

ScoBEY^s  Champion.  The  most  successful  son  of 
GrinnelPs  Champion  as  a  sire  was  known  as  Scobey's 
Champion  and  also  as  King^s  Champion.  He  is  regis- 
tered as  Champion  807.  He  was  foaled  in  1849.  His 
dam  was  by  Red  Bird,  a  son  of  Billy  W.  Duroc,  by 


199 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed.  Scobey's  Champion 
got  eight  trotters  that  took  records  of  2.30  or  better, 
the  fastest  of  which  was  Nettie  Bur  lew  (2.24).  Six  of 
his  sons  have  sired  standard  performers  and  his 
daughters  produced  eight  trotters  with  records  of  2.30 
or  better.  His  most  successful  sons  as  sires  are 
Charley  B.  (2.25)  and  Gooding's  Champion. 

GooDiNG^s  Champion  is  registered  as  Champion  808, 
and  is  credited  with  seventeen  that  have  made  standard 
records,  all  trotters.  He  seemed  to  lack  ability  to 
perpetuate  speed,  however,  as  only  one  of  his  sons  is 
found  in  the  Great  Table,  and  he  is  the  sire  of  but  one 
standard  performer.  The  dam  of  Gooding's  Champion 
was  a  fast  trotter  called  Cynthia,  whose  sire  was  Bart- 
lett's  Turk,  by  Weddle's  Turk,  a  son  of  Imported 
Turk.  His  second  dam  was  Fanny,  by  Scobey's  Black 
Prince;  and  his  third  dam  by  Rock  Planter,  a  son  of 
Duroc,  by  imported  Diomed. 

Charley  B.  (2.25).  The  most  successful  sire  in  the 
Champion  family  was  Charley  B.  (2.25),  a  full  brother 
of  the  trotting  mare  Myrtle  (2.251-2).  He  was  by 
Scobey's  Champion  and  from  the  great  brood  mare 
Old  Jane.  The  breeding  of  Old  Jane  seems  to  be 
somewhat  in  doubt.  It  has  been  claimed  that  she  was 
by  Nimrod,  a  grandson  of  American  Eclipse,  and  her 
second  dam  by  Dey's  Messenger.  The  American 
Trotting  Register  gives  Old  Jane's  sire  as  Magnum 
Bonum,  but  does  not  give  Magnum  Bonum's  sire.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  Magnum  Bonum  was  another 
name,  real  or  imaginary,  for  Nimrod.  Charley  B.  was 
not  only  a  fast  game  trotter,  but  he  was  a  winner  of 
the  blue  ribbon  in  the  show  ring  against  some  very 


200 


••rim^L 

,  ^^0^ 

:,:, 

■^g^^ J-'  ■'^ffL 

"f '       *    ■'  ,  ■ 

^^^^^'-mn,  J|H 

,    •     , 

Hw/ 

^flHIft   ^'         M 

•Ifi^B^ 

^^^^^^^H^^i^'^HHH^Bjibi 

i 

^^H            j^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 

EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

handsome  horses.  His  owner  once  offered  to  back  him 
with  money  to  raise  a  heavier  weight  from  a  stone 
quarry  than  could  be  raised  by  any  imported  Percheron 
or  Clydesdale  in  America.  Charley  B.  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  very  successful,  however,  as  a  speed 
perpetuator,  yet  it  may  have  been  from  lack  of  oppor- 
tunity. He  was  foaled  June  16,  1869,  and  died 
November  24,  1896.  He  is  credited  with  three  sons 
that  have  sired  four  trotters  with  records  of  2.30  or 
better  and  with  ten  daughters  that  have  produced  six 
trotters  and  four  pacers  that  have  made  standard 
records. 

Some  of  the  Champions  could  show  wonderful  bursts 
of  speed  at  the  trot.  The  old-time  trainer  Hiram 
Woodruff  speaks  of  the  "Auburn  Horse"  in  the  Trotting 
Horse  of  America  as  even  faster  for  a  brush  than 
Peerless,  which  he  drove  a  quarter  in  30  seconds  to 
wagon.  The  Auburn  Horse's  sire  was  Champion,  Jr., 
a  son  of  GrinnelPs  Champion.  Many  of  the  Champions 
possessed  such  a  highly  nervous  temperament  that 
care  was  necessary  in  handling  them.  They  were  apt 
to  contract  the  habit  of  pulling  on  the  bit  so  strongly 
as  to  be  unpleasant  drivers.  The  family  is  now  prac- 
tically extinct,  as  no  direct  descendant  of  Champion 
in  the  paternal  line  is  breeding  on. 

The  Benton  Family.  The  Benton  family  is  another 
that  possessed  wonderful  speed,  and  at  one  time 
seemed  in  a  fair  way  to  make  a  strong  bid  for  cham- 
pionship honors,  but  has  been  absorbed  by  the  Ham- 
bletonian  family.  The  founder  of  this  family  was  Gen. 
Benton,  a  horse  owned  for  several  years  at  the 
renowned  Palo  Alto  breeding  establishment.    He  was 


201 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

bred  by  Gen.  Alfred  Benton,  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y., 
and  foaled  in  1868.  He  was  bought  by  Gov.  Stanford, 
proprietor  of  Palo  Alto,  in  1877,  for  $25,000,  just  twice 
the  sum  that  he  had  paid  for  Electioneer  in  1875.  At 
the  time  of  his  purchase  it  was  thought  by  what  he 
had  shown  that  Gen.  Benton  possessed  as  much  nat- 
ural speed  at  the  trot  as  any  stallion  then  living. 
With  but  little  handling  he  had  shown  a  mile  in  2.17, 
if  we  remember  correctly,  and  quarters  at  a  much 
faster  clip  on  a  half-mile  track  in  New  York  State. 

The  breeding  of  Gen.  Benton,  as  given  by  Gov. 
Stanford  in  the  Palo  Alto  catalogue  and  also  in  the 
American  Trotting  Register,  is  as  follows:  Sired  by 
Jim  Scott;  dam  Lady  Benton,  by  Gray's  Hambleton- 
ian;  second  dam  by  Partridge's  Blucher,  son  of  the 
thoroughbred  Blucher  by  Duroc;  third  dam  by  Bush's 
Messenger,  thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Messenger. 
Jim  Scott,  the  sire  of  Gen.  Benton,  was  by  Rich's 
Hambletonian,  son  of  Spaulding's  Abdallah,  and  he 
by  old  Abdallah,  the  son  of  Mambrino  by  imported 
Messenger  that  got  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  The  dam 
of  Rich's  Hambletonian  was  by  imported  Trustee,  and 
his  second  dam  was  by  old  Abdallah,  making 
him  quite  closely  inbred  to  that  famous  son 
of  Mambrino.  The  dam  of  Jim  Scott,  sire  of 
Gen.  Benton,  was  by  Stubtail,  a  son  of  Moody's 
Blucher,  and  he  by  Hungerford's  Blucher,  son  of  the 
thoroughbred  Blucher  by  Duroc.  The  second  dam  of 
Jim  Scott  was  by  Greenbush  Hambletonian,  a  son  of 
Mambrino  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam  of 
Spaulding's  Abdallah  was  by  Star  Gazer,  a  son  of 
Engineer  by  imported  Messenger,  and  his  second  dam 


202 


EXTINCT    TROTTING    FAMILIES. 

a  Canadian.  Gray's  Hambletonian,  sire  of  the  dam 
of  Gen.  Benton,  was  by  Bloomer's  Hambletonian,  a  son 
of  Andrus'  Hambletonian,  and  he  by  Judson's  Ham- 
bletonian, a  son  of  the  thoroughbred  Bishop'<j 
Hambletonian,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam  of 
Gray's  Hambletonian,  sire  of  Bloomer's  Hambletonian, 
was  also  by  Judson's  Hambletonian,  mentioned  above. 
Blucher  was  by  Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed.  His 
dam  was  Young  Miller's  Damsel  by  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian, and  his  second  dam  was  the  famous  race  mare 
Miller's  Damsel,  by  imported  Messenger,  that,  mated 
with  Duroc,  produced  the  successful  four-mile  race 
horse,  American  Eclipse. 

Gen.  Benton  was  probably  as  strongly  bred  in  Mes- 
senger lines  as  any  horse  of  his  day.  His  pedigree 
shows  no  less  than  thirteen  known  crosses  of  imported 
Messenger.  The  only  unknown  element  in  his  pedigree 
is  the  Canadian  mare,  the  second  dam  of  Spaulding's 
Abdallah,  and  the  dam  of  Wells'  Magnum  Bonum. 
The  latter  got  the  dam  of  Judson's  Hambletonian,  and 
was  a  son  of  imported  Magnum  Bonum.  Gen.  Benton 
was  raced  a  little  in  New  York  State.  He  won  a  race 
at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  September  18,  1874,  but  no  time 
was  given.  He  also  won  two  races  in  1875,  one  at 
Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  in  which  he  took  a  record  of  2.37  1-2, 
and  another  at  Toronto,  Out.,  the  fastest  heat  of  which 
he  won  in  2.38  1-4. 

Gov.  Stanford  evidently  believed,  at  first,  that  Gen. 
Benton  would  prove  a  better  sire  than  Electioneer,  for 
upon  his  arrival  at  Palo  Alto  the  son  of  Jim  Scott 
was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  stud  in  the  trotting 
department.     Two  years   later,   1880,   Fred   Crocker, 


203 


THE   AMERICAN   TROTTER, 

by  Electioneer,  lowered  the  world's  two-year-old  cham- 
pion trotting  record  to  2.25  1-4,  and  after  that  Gen. 
Benton  had  to  take  a  back  seat.  He  died  at  Palo 
Alto  in  November,  1888. 

Gen.  Benton  is  credited  with  nineteen  trotters  and 
one  pacer  that  made  records  in  standard  time.  The 
fastest  of  these  is  The  Seer  (2.15  3-4).  The  next  fast- 
est was  Sally  Benton,  that  lowered  the  world's 
champion  four-year-old  trotting  record  to  2.17  3-4  in 
1884.  Gen.  Benton  is  credited  with  seventeen  sons  that 
have  sired  thirty-three  trotters  and  three  pacers  with 
standard  records.  The  most  successful  of  his  sons 
as  sires  are  Daly  (2.221-2)  and  The  Seer  (2.153-4). 
The  former  is  credited  with  eight  trotters  and  two 
pacers  that  are  standard  performers,  and  the  latter 
with  five  trotters.  Gen.  Benton  is  also  credited  with 
thirty-seven  daughters  that  have  produced  fifty-eight 
trotters  and  eight  pacers  with  standard  records. 
Among  them  are  Lena  N.  (2.051-4),  Sunol  (2.081-4) 
and  Surpol  (2.10).  Gov.  Benton  (2.221-2),  sire  of 
Benton  M.  (2.10)  and  others,  was  also  from  a  daughter 
of  Gen.  Benton,  and  the  sire  of  Gov.  Benton  was  Maj. 
Benton,  a  full  brother  of  Gen.  Benton.  The  latter,  as 
will  be  observed  above,  was  much  more  successful  as 
a  sire  of  producing  dams  than  of  producing  stallions. 
The  family  founded  by  Gen.  Benton  has  become  nearly 
extinct.  The  cause  may  have  been  lack  of  opportu- 
nities of  his  sons.  It  certainly  was  not  for  lack  of  the 
blood  of  that  most  famous  of  all  progenitors  of  trot- 
ting instincts  of  his  day,  imported  Messenger. 

Alexander's  Norman.  Another  family  that  was 
quite  prominent  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  but 

204 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

is  now  perpetuating  speed  only  through  the  female 
line,  is  that  founded  by  Alexander's  Norman,  registered 
as  Norman  25.  This  horse  was  owned  for  some  time 
at  Woodburn  Farm.  He  traced  directly  through  his 
sire,  the  Morse  Horse,  to  an  imported  French  stallion, 
known  both  as  European  and  the  McNitt  Horse,  that 
was  quite  a  fast  trotter  himself,  though  not  known  to 
have  any  trotting  inheritance.  The  dam  of  the  Morse 
Horse  was  by  Harris'  Hambletonian,  son  of  Bishop's 
Hambletonian,  a  running  bred  son  of  imported  Mes- 
senger. The  dam  of  Alexander's  Norman  was  a  de- 
scendant of  imported  Magnum  Bonum,  a  thoroughbred 
horse  that  was  quite  strongly  inbred  to  the  renowned 
Godolphin  Arabian.  Alexander's  Norman  was  evi- 
dently more  successful  as  a  sire  of  extreme  speed  than 
of  uniform  standard  speed.  He  is  credited  with  but 
two  in  the  standard  list,  viz..  May  Queen  (2.20)  and 
Lula  (2.15),  neither  of  which  derived  any  trotting  in- 
heritance from  their  dams. 

Blackwood  74.  Alexander's  Norman  is  credited 
with  four  sons  that  sired  fifty-seven  trotters  and  three 
pacers  that  made  standard  records.  The  most  suc- 
cessful of  these  were  Blackwood  74  and  Swigert  650. 
Blackwood  was  considered  a  trotting  wonder  in  early 
life.  He  took  a  record  of  2.31  as  a  three-year-old  in 
1869,  then  the  world's  champion  three-year-old  trotting 
record,  and  was  sold  as  a  five-year-old  for  $30,000,  if 
report  was  correct,  to  Mr.  Harrison  Durkee  of  Flush- 
ing, Long  Island,  N.  Y.  He  is  credited  with  nine  that 
made  standard  records,  all  trotters,  the  fastest  of  which 
was  Proteine  (2.18).  The  number  of  his  sons  which 
sired  standard  performers  is  thirteen  and  the  total 


205 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

number  credited  to  them  is  seventeen  trotters  and 
seven  pacers,  twenty-four  in  all,  an  average  of  less 
than  two  standard  performers  each.  Blackwood's 
daughters  were  much  more  successful  as  producers 
than  his  sons,  as  thirty-one  of  them  produced  thirty- 
five  trotters  and  ten  pacers  that  made  standard  rec- 
ords. No  stallion  that  we  can  recall,  which  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  Blackwood  in  the  paternal  line,  is  now 
perpetuating  standard  speed.  Blackwood  was  foaled 
in  1866  and  died  in  1891. 

SwiGERT.  The  dam  of  Swigert  was  Blandina  by 
Mambrino  Chief,  and  his  second  dam  was  the  Burch 
mare  by  Old  Copperbottom.  The  latter  was  by  Brutus, 
whose  sire  was  the  original  Copperbottom  from 
Canada,  and  whose  dam  was  by  Robin  Grey,  a  running 
bred  son  of  imported  Royalist.  The  dam  of  Brown 
Pilot  was  by  Cherokee,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Sir 
Archy.  Swigert  was  foaled  at  Woodburn  Farm  in 
1866,  and  was  sold  as  a  yearling  to  Richard  Richards 
of  Racine,  Wis.  He  was  never  raced,  but  was  handled 
for  speed  in  his  ten  and  eleven-year-old  form.  At  the 
Wisconsin  State  Fair  in  1877,  when  eleven  years  old, 
Swigert  trotted  an  exhibition  mile  in  2.30  and  a  half 
in  1.13.  Swigert  is  credited  with  forty-six  trotters 
and  two  pacers  that  made  standard  records.  The 
fastest  of  these  was  Brilliant,  that  took  a  record  of 
2.17  1-4  against  time.  Swigert's  most  successful  cam- 
paigner was  Moody,  race  record  (2.181-2),  got  when 
Swigert  was  seven  years  old,  and  before  his  speed  was 
developed.  Swigert  was  not  much  more  successful  as 
a  perpetuator  of  uniform  standard  speed  than  Black- 
wood.    He  is  credited  with  thirtv-nine  sons  that  sired 


206 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

a  total  of  ninety-four  standard  performers,  sixty-five 
of  which  were  trotters.  He  is  also  credited  with 
thirty-five  daughters  that  have  produced  thirty-two 
trotters  and  eleven  pacers  which  have  made  standard 
records.  Swigert  has  ceased  to  perpetuate  standard 
speed  through  the  male  line. 

Daughters  of  Alexander's  Norman  were  more  suc- 
cessful as  speed  perpetuators  than  his  sons.  May 
Queen  (2.20),  mated  with  Electioneer,  produced  May 
King  (2.20),  sire  of  the  popular  stallion  Bingen 
(2.061-4);  Lula  (2.15),  mated  with  George  Wlkes 
(2.22),  produced  a  daughter,  that  mated  with  Election- 
eer, produced  Advertiser  (2.151-4),  a  fast  trotter  and 
quite  a  successful  sire  of  speed.  One  of  his  get  was  Ad- 
bell,  that  holds  the  world's  champion  record  for  yearling 
trotters,  2.23.  This  family  has  become  absorbed  by 
and  assimilated  with  the  Hambletonian  family,  but  it 
is  a  valuable  factor  in  a  trotting  pedigree.  It  is  sure 
to  breed  on  through  May  King  (2.20)  and  Advertiser 
(2.151-4). 

The  Royal  George  Family.  Thirty  years  ago  the 
Royal  George  family  gave  promise  of  becoming  quite 
prominent.  The  founder  of  this  family  was  Royal 
George,  a  son  of  Warrior,  also  known  as  Black 
Warrior.  The  author  of  the  American  Trotting 
Register  gives  the  sire  of  Warrior  as  Tippoo,  and  that 
of  the  latter  as  a  Narragansett  pacer.  Some  fifteen 
or  twenty  years  ago  we  attempted  to  investigate  the 
pedigree  of  this  horse,  Warrior,  the  sire  of  Royal 
George.  Among  the  communications  that  were  re- 
ceived in  relation  to  the  matter  was  one  from  Amos 
Barnes,  who  lived  not  far  from  London,  Ontario,  and 


207 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

who  owned  Warrior  for  several  years.  Mr.  Barnes 
bought  Warrior  from  a  Mr.  Cushman,  and  he  bought 
him  when  eight  or  nine  years  old  from  a  townsman 
that  bred  and  raised  the  horse.  This  man  said  that 
Warrior  was  got  by  a  thoroughbred  horse  owned  by  an 
officer  in  the  English  Army,  who  brought  him  from 
England  to  Canada,  and  that  this  thoroughbred,  the 
sire  of  Warrior,  was  from  a  family  of  horses  called 
Warrior.  The  officer  took  this  horse  to  Long  Island 
and  sold  him.  Mr.  Barnes  says  that  the  dam  of  War- 
rior was  described  as  a  fine  brown  mare  of  the  Tippoo 
breed,  and  that  this  was  where  the  Tippoo  cross  came 
into  the  pedigree.  The  dam  of  Royal  George  came 
from  the  vicinity  of  Middlebury,  Vt.,  and  was  said  to 
be  by  Harris'  Hambletonian. 

F.  A.  Ashbaugh,  Esq.,  of  Hamilton,  Canada,  stated 
in  a  letter  dated  November  20, 1887,  that  "Royal  George 
must  have  got  a  good  deal  of  hot  blood  in  his  veins, 
for  he  was  famous  as  a  quarter-mile  runner,  and  was 
the  champion  of  Canada  for  three  miles  mixed,  viz., 
one  milk  walk,  one  mile  trot,  and  one  mile  run."  Mr. 
Ashbaugh  adds  that  Royal  George  must  have  been  "of 
good  running  stock,  as  he  was  the  sire  of  Palermo, 
winner  of  the  Queen's  Plate,  then  the  most  coveted 
prize  in  Canada  for  the  gallopers."  The  above  seems 
to  be  quite  conclusive  evidence  that  the  sire  of  Warrior 
was  not  a  Narragansett  pacer. 

Royal  George  is  credited  with  one  trotter  that  made 
a  standard  record.  Lady  Byron  (2.28),  and  she  was 
a  successful  race  mare.  Five  of  the  sons  of  Royal 
George  were  sires  of  standard  speed.  Among  the  best 
known  of  these  were  Chandler  J.  Wells,  Field's  Royal 


208 


EXTINCT    TROTTING   FAMILIES. 

George  and  Toronto  Chief.  Some  of  the  mares  which 
C.  J.  Hamlin  used  for  the  purpose  of  founding  the 
noted  Village  Farm  breeding  establishment  were 
descendants  of  Chandler  J.  Wells.  The  best  of  the  get 
of  Field's  Royal  George  was  the  stallion  Byron 
(2.251-2),  the  sire  of  Ottawa  Chief  (2.25). 

Thomas  Jefferson  (2.23).  The  most  successful  son 
of  old  Royal  George  as  a  sire  and  perpetuator  of  speed 
was  Toronto  Chief  (2.31),  and  the  best  of  Toronto 
Chief's  get  was  the  handsome  game  trotting  stallion 
Thomas  Jefferson  (2.23),  bred  and  owned  by  William 
B.  Smith,  of  Hartford,  Conn.  During  his  racing 
career,  Thomas  Jefferson  beat  some  of  the  best 
trotters  of  his  day,  including  George  Wilkes 
(2.22),  Mambrino  Gift  (2.20)  and  Smuggler 
(2.1514).  He  won  a  $10,000  purse  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  in  1874,  and  also  won  the  $10,000  Stallion 
race  at  Mystic  Park  in  1875.  He  won  in  all 
thirty-one  races  and  thirty-nine  heats  in  2.30  or  better. 
He  was  the  "bright  particular  star''  in  the  Royal 
George  family  both  as  a  trotter  and  sire  of  trotters. 
He  is  credited  with  eighteen  trotters  and  one  pacer 
that  made  records  in  standard  time.  His  sons,  how- 
ever, made  a  very  poor  showing  as  sires.  Only  two  of 
them  were  sires  of  standard  speed,  and  those  two  got 
but  three  standard  performers  all  told.  His  daughters 
have  produced  nine  trotters  and  six  pacers  that  made 
standard  records. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  trotting  families  that 
have  become  practically  extinct  or  have  ceased  to  per- 
petuate speed  directly  through  the  male  line.  Some  of 
the  others  are  the  Winthrop  Morrill,  the  Eaton,  the 


209 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Drew,  the  Brandy  Wine,  and  the  Rising  Sun,  all  of 
which  have  flourished  in  Maine  in  years  past;  also  the 
Harris  Hambletonian,  and  the  Morrill  of  Vermont; 
the  Columbus,  the  St.  Clair  and  many  others. 

It  looks  now  as  though  the  Hambletonian  family 
may  swallow  up  all  the  others  and  finally  that  the 
most  powerful  and  most  prolific  speed  producing 
branches  of  that  family  may  exterminate  all  the  others. 
The  branches  between  which  the  great  battle  will  finally 
be  fought,  judging  from  present  appearances,  are  those 
which  sprang  from  George  Wilkes,  Electioneer,  Alexan- 
der's Abdallah,  Dictator,  Harold  and  Strathmore.  The 
chances  now  seem  to  favor  the  Wilkes  branch  as  the 
final  victor.  By  absorbing  and  assimilating  the  many 
extinct  trotting  families  the  Hambletonian  family  has 
been  greatly  improved  in  conformation,  style,  road 
qualities,  speed,  courage  and  endurance. 


210 


Chapter  VIII. 
TROTTING  FAMILIES  FROM  PACERS. 


Pilot.— Pilot,  Jr.— Bayard,  (2.31  3-4).— Tattler  (2.26).— Daugh- 
ters of  Pilot,  Jr.— Nutwood  (2.18  3-4).— Midnight.— Water- 
witch.— Tackey.— Wilson's  Blue  Bull.— Whitehall.— Rhode 
Island. — Gov.  Sprague  (2.201-2). — Blanco. — Tom  Rolfe 
(2.33  1-2). — Young  Rolfe. — Pocahontas  Boy. — Pocahontas 
Sam. 

Several  trotting  families  of  greater  or  less  note  have 
been  founded  by  pacers  or  sons  of  pacers.  Most  of 
these  families,  however,  have  been  of  short  duration. 
They  evidently  lacked  the  ability  to  perpetuate  trotting 
speed  through  succeeding  generations  in  the  paternal 
line,  and  have  become  extinct  as  families.  Such  were 
the  Copperbottom,  the  Red  Buck,  the  Davy  Crockett^ 
the  Drennon,  the  Hiatoga,  the  Corbeau,  the  Columbus, 
the  St.  Clair  and  some  other  minor  families.  The  only 
families  of  note  that  were  of  pacing  origin,  which  are 
now  perpetuating  in  the  male  line,  are  the  Pilot,  Jr., 
and  Blue  Bull.  A  study  of  the  Great  Table  in  the  Year 
Book  for  the  past  ten  years  must  convince  every 
unprejudiced  horseman  that  these,  too,  will  soon  become 
extinct. 


211 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Pilot.  The  founder  of  the  Pilot,  Jr.  family  was  a 
grey  horse,  foaled  in  1844,  whose  sire  was  a  fast  and 
powerful  pacer,  known  as  Pilot  or  old  pacing  Pilot. 
He  was  a  black  horse  about  fifteen  hands  high  and  of 
Canadian  origin,  became  the  property  of  a  pedlar  and 
was  taken  as  far  south  as  New  Orleans,  from  there 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  performed  stud  service  for 
some  time.  He  was  a  resolute  horse  and  pulled  very 
strongly  on  the  bit.  It  has  been  stated  upon  good 
authority  that  he  paced  a  mile  under  saddle  in  2.26. 

PiLOT^  Jr.  Several  of  Pilot^s  sons  were  kept  for 
stock  purposes,  the  most  noted  of  which  as  a  sire  of 
trotters  was  Pilot,  Jr.  The  latter,  a  good-gaited 
trotter,  showed  no  inclination  to  pace,  and  could  trot 
a  mile  in  about  2.35  to  harness,  which  but  few  stallions 
of  his  day  could  do.  The  dam  of  Pilot,  Jr.,  was  known 
as  Nancy  Pope.  Her  breeding  was  the  subject  of  con- 
siderable controversy  several  years  ago,  as  some  of 
our  readers  doubtless  remember,  and  Mr.  Wallace 
finally  persuaded  some  of  the  Board  of  Censors  to 
believe  that  her  sire  was  a  large  bay  cart  horse  of 
unknown  breeding.  Mr.  Wm.  Pope,  the  breeder  of 
Nancy  Pope,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn, 
enjoyed  a  good  reputation  for  veracity.  No  one  who 
knew  him  has  ever  gone  on  record  as  accusing  him 
of  dishonesty  or  untruthfulness.  He  always  claimed 
while  living  that  Nancy  Pope  was  by  a  horse  called 
Havoc,  owned  by  Mr.  Peter  Funk.  The  statement  of 
the  breeder  of  an  animal  is  the  strongest  evidence  that 
can  be  presented  of  that  animaPs  paternity.  The  fact 
that  Nancy  Pope  was  by  a  running-bred  horse  called 
Havoc  was  never  questioned  until  Mr.  J.  H.  Wallace 


212 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM   PACERS. 

had  become  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  idea  that 
trotting  speed  could  not  come  from  an  animal  whose 
sire  or  dam  was  from  thoroughbred  stock. 

The  pedigree  of  Nancy  Pope  as  it  now  appears  in 
Wallace's  American  Trotting  Register,  rests  solely 
upon  the  statements  of  Mr.  Edmund  Pearce,  who  was 
a  mere  youth  at  the  time  that  Mr.  Peter  Funk  owned 
the  stallion  Havoc,  by  Sir  Charles.  The  pedigree  of 
Nancy  Pope  was  not  assailed  and  investigated  by  Mr. 
Wallace  until  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Pope,  her  breeder, 
and  Mr.  Funk,  the  owner  of  her  sire.  When  Mr.  Wal- 
lace registered  Pilot,  Jr.,  in  Vol.  1  of  the  American 
Trotting  Register,  he  gave  his  pedigree  as  follows: 
"Got  by  old  Pilot,  a  Canadian  pacer;  dam  Nancy  Pope 
by  Havoc  1118 ;  second  dam  by  Nancy  Taylor  by  Alfred, 
53."  Mr.  Wallace  evidently  did  not  know  at  that  time 
that  there  were  two  stallions  called  Havoc  that  were 
sired  by  Sir  Charles,  but  took  it  for  granted  that  the 
Havoc  referred  to  must  be  the  one  registered  by  him  in 
his  thoroughbred  Stud  Book  under  No.  1,118. 

Mr.  Wallace  learned  that  Nancy  Pope,  the  dam  of 
Pilot,  Jr.,  was  foaled  not  later  than  1825.  He  was 
Informed  by  Attorney  General  Speed  that  Nancy 
Taylor,  the  dam  of  Nancy  Pope,  became  the  property 
of  his  father  in  1824.  Attorney  General  Speed  fixed 
upon  this  date,  1824,  from  memory,  but  it  was  after- 
wards discovered  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  of  nine 
years,  and  that  it  was  not  till  1833  that  Nancy  Taylor 
became  the  property  of  his  father.  Mr.  Wallace  found 
upon  referring  to  the  registration  of  Havoc  1,118  that 
this  son  of  Sir  Charles  was  not  foaled  until  1826, 
which  proved  conclusively  that  as  Nancy  Pope  wpr 


213 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

foaled  as  early  as  1825,  she  could  not  possibly  be  by 
Havoc  1,118.  He  soon  learned,  however,  that  Havoc 
1,118  had  never  been  claimed  as  the  sire  of  Nancy  Pope, 
but  that  her  sire  was  the  Havoc  by  Sir  Charles,  which 
was  owned  by  Mr.  Peter  Funk.  Continuing  his  investi- 
gations Mr.  Wallace  learned  that  Funk's  Havoc,  by 
Sir  Charles,  died  about  1827  or  1828.  He  then  found 
Mr.  Edmund  Pearce,  a  man  of  unquestioned  veracity, 
who  when  a  boy  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Funk. 
Some  fifty  years  had  elapsed  between  the  foaling  of 
Nancy  Pope  and  the  time  that  Mr.  Pearce  made  his 
statements  in  regard  to  Havoc,  and  he  relied  solely 
upon  his  memory  in  the  matter.  He  stated  that  Nancy 
Pope  was  not  foaled  until  1831  or  1832,  and  was  got  by 
a  large  bay  cart  horse  called  Havoc,  that  was  owned 
by  Mr.  Funk  who  owned  the  Havoc  that  died  about 
1828  and  was  got  by  Sir  Charles,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy. 
All  that  Mr.  Pearce  claimed  to  know  about  the  matter 
was  that  he  heard  Mr.  Frye,  who  was  Mr.  Pope's 
overseer,  say  that  Nancy  Pope  was  got  by  a  fine  draught 
horse  that  stood  over  on  the  Shelby vi lie  Pike,  about 
four  miles  from  Mr.  Pope's  residence.  Mr.  Pearce 
also  stated  positively  that  Mr.  Funk  did  have  a  hay 
horse  when  he  (Pearce)  was  a  boy  and  he  was  said  to 
be  a  blood  horse,  but  he  knew  he  was  not  the  sire  of 
Nancy  Pope. 

Now,  as  already  remarked,  something  like  fifty 
years  had  elapsed  between  the  time  that  Nancy  Pope 
was  foaled,  and  that  when  Mr.  Pearce  made  the  above 
statement.  He  relied  solely  upon  his  memory.  The 
matter  was  one  which  could  not  have  been  of  the 
slightest  interest  to  him  at  the  time  it  occurred,  and 

214 


TROTTING   FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

yet  he  does  not  hesitate  to  state  positively  that  Naney 
Pope  was  not  foaled  until  1831  or  1832.  It  was  a  very 
remarkable  assertion,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that 
though  an  upright  man,  who  believed  he  was  correct, 
he  made  a  mistake  in  the  date  as  other  honest  men  have 
done  before.  That  such  was  the  case  has  been  proven 
beyond  question,  and  that  Nancy  Pope  was  foaled  as 
early  as  1825  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt. 

Mrs.  Funk,  widow  of  the  man  who  owned  Havoc, 
and  by  events  which  occurred  about  the  time  that  the 
horse  died,  fixes  the  date  of  Havoc's  death  as  1827. 
She  stated  that  Havoc  was  a  chestnut  in  color.  John 
Funk,  a  son  of  the  owner  of  Havoc,  remembered  the 
horse  well.  He  was  as  old  as  Mr.  Pearce,  and  a  more 
competent  witness  because  his  opportunity  of  knowing 
the  facts  were  superior  to  those  of  Mr.  Pearce.  In 
a  letter  to  J.  H.  Wallace,  this  John  Funk  describes 
the  horse  as  follows:  "Havoc  was  undoubtedly  a 
thoroughbred,  on  one  side  closely  descended  from 
Diomed,  and  on  the  other  side  Buzzard.  My  father 
did  not  breed  him,  but  purchased  him."  Mr.  John 
Funk  also  stated  that  Havoc  was  a  chestnut  in  color. 
This  is  the  horse  that  Mr.  Wallace's  witness,  Edmond 
Pearce,  who  probably  never  saw  him  in  his  life,  de- 
scribed as  a  hay  draught  horse,  for  Mr.  Funk  never 
owned  but  one  stallion  called  Havoc.  Mr.  Pearce 
stated  from  memory  that  Mr.  Frye,  Mr.  Pope's  over- 
seer, said  the  horse  stood  ahout  four  miles  from  Mr. 
Pope's  place  at  Louisville.  The  actual  distance  was 
eight  miles.  The  matter  of  distance  was  of  very  small 
importance,   but   it   shows   that   the   memory   of   Mr. 


215 


THE   AMERICAN   TROTTER. 

Pearce  was  so  much  at  fault  as  to  cast  doubt  on  all 
his  other  statements. 

There  was  another  man  whose  opportunities  for 
knowing  and  remembering  the  facts  in  regard  to  this 
matter  were  better  than  those  of  Mr.  Pearce.  This 
was  Mr.  Charles  Anderson,  who  was  a  little  older  than 
Mr.  Pearce,  and  who  at  the  time  of  Havoc,  lived  within 
one  and  one-half  miles  of  Mr.  Funk.  Mr.  Anderson 
was  much  more  intimate  with  the  Funk  family  and 
Mr.  Funk's  horses  than  was  Mr.  Pearce.  The  contro- 
versy in  regard  to  the  breeding  of  Nancy  Pope  and 
the  statements  in  regard  to  her  sire,  Funk's  Havoc, 
were  brought  to  the  notice  of  Mr.  Anderson,  and  he 
was  urged  by  parties  who  were  anxious  to  know  the 
truth,  to  state  what  he  knew  of  the  matter.  This  he 
did  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wallace.  The  letter  was  pub- 
lished in  Wallace's  Monthly,  but  not  till  after  it  had 
been  decided  upon  the  strength  of  Mr.  Pearce's  state- 
ments that  the  sire  of  Nancy  Pope,  dam  of  Pilot,  Jr., 
was  a  large  bay  cart  horse.  A  part  of  Mr.  Anderson's 
letter  was  as  follows: 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  the  reminiscences  of  my  friends, 
Speed,  Pearce  and  Gray,  as  well  as  your  "pet  theory"  of 
breeding,  must  alike  go  down  before  my  confidence  in  the 
simple  honesty  of  Major  Funk  in  these  transactions.  This  is 
my  main  motive  to  this  reply;  to  respond  to  a  call  from  my 
especial  friend,  Andrew  Steele,  and  to  correct  the  misunder- 
standings of  my  former  and  forgotten  statements,  are  my 
lesser  purposes.  1  know  very  little  of  this  controversy.  As 
it  seems  to  me,  it  is  only  the  accidental  status  of  your  present 
discussion  which  gives  the  least  significance  or  interest  to 
my  knowledge. 

Our  neighbor,  Major  Funk,  one  and  one-half  miles  off,  in  or 
about  the  year  1822,  became  infected  with  a  violent  passion.  If 


216 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PACERS. 

not  mania,  for  racing  and  for  breeding  race  horses.  He  was 
alone  in  his  taste  or  enterprise,  of  all  the  citizens  of  Jefferson 
Comity  of  that  time.  He  bought  some  stock,  laid  out  a  race 
track,  built  stables,  etc.,  and  gathered  such  a  crowd  of  stal- 
lions, mares,  keepers,  trainers,  riders  and  other  attendant 
persons  and  things,  that  his  new  enterprise  became,  with 
different  minds  of  the  neighborhood,  a  cause  of  surprise,  re- 
gret and  derision.  I  do  not  know  or  believe  that  any  other 
man  in  the  county  had  a  thoroughbred  of  either  sex.  I  am 
sure  Mr.  Funk  then  had  (as  far  as  he  knew)  no  other  sort  for 
breeding.  These  appear  to  me  to  be  important  items  in  this 
question  as  it  stands. 

Amongst  these  stallions  in  training,  or  standing,  there  were 
Stockholder,  Archer  (also  by  Sir  Archy),  Sea  Serpent,  by 
Shylock  (I  believe).  Conqueror,  Whip  Tiger,  with  other  less 
distinguished  juveniles,  and  at  a  somewhat  later  date  per- 
haps. Havoc,  the  horse  in  dispute.  I  could,  if  I  were  not  "to 
inquire  too  curiously,"  give  you  also  the  names  of  sundry 
mares,  fillies  and  colts  then  assembled  there. 

I  remember  Havoc  very  distinctly,  more  so  than  if  I  had 
seen  him  last  year,  rie  was  not  a  bay,  but  a  chestnut  (or 
"sorrel"  as  the  color  was  then  called),  nor  was  he  as  dark 
or  dull  colored  as  Wagner  was,  but  a  bright  yellowish  sorrel. 
As  to  size,  he  was  of  the  medium  size  and  shape  of  thorough- 
breds. I  think  about  of  such  proportions  as  Sir  Archy  or  Sir 
Charles  may  have  been,  guessing  by  their  pictures  in  the 
Turf  Register. 

There  never  was  any  large  bay  horse  called  Havoc  owned 
by  Peter  Punk.  Be  assured  of  this  fact.  On  this  point  I 
must  stand  up  for  my  own  superiority  "of  opportunities"  to 
your  other  "Beargrass  boys."  Major  Funk's  race  course  was 
entirely  out  of  their  beat.  The  Speed  boys  were  good,  and 
did  not  habituate  such  places.  And  although  Ned  Pearce  and 
John  Gray  (like  the  writer)  were  certainly  "fast"  enough  for 
any  deviltry  of  that  sort,  yet  I  have  no  idea  that  either  of 
them  ever  saw  Stockholder,  or  Havoc  (any  Havoc)  in  their 
lives.  What  then  could  either  of  them  know  of  his  size  or 
color? 


217 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

He  was  reputed  to  be  by  Sir  Charles.  As  I  have  almost 
ever  since  kept  my  knowledge  of  pedigrees  refreshed  by 
reading  in  The  American  Turf  Register,  etc.,  I  am  now  imable 
to  say  whether  any  part  of  his  remaining  pedigree  (by  Sir 
Alfred  Virgo,  by  imported  Teazle,  Castianira,  etc.),  to  be  a 
matter  of  memory,  derived  from  the  reputation  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, or  from  subsequent  studies.  But  I  think  the  reputed 
pedigree  then  was  Havoc,  by  Sir  Charles;  dam,  by  Sir  Alfred. 
I  am  quite  sure,  though,  it  was  by  Havoc,  by  Sir  Charles. 
Remembering  now  that  I  never  in  my  life  heard  one  word  in 
disparagement  of  the  integrity  or  honor  of  Major  Funk 
(unless  the  deplorings  of  the  "unco  righteous"  of  this  race 
horse  business  may  be  construed  into  such  impeachment),  do 
you  not  see  in  what  a  light  your  present  proposition  must 
appear? 

We  are  required  to  believe  that  such  a  man  would  bring 
from  "a  trip  to  Philadelphia"  a  farm  horse  of  imknown  breed- 
ing, "a  large  bay  horse, '  and  palm  him  off  as  a  thoroughbred 
"Havoc,  by  Sir  Charles,  Sir  Alfred,"  and  in  a  county,  too,  in 
which  the  forged  pedigree  (if  believed)  would  not  have  added 
one  cent  to  his  custom.  If,  therefore,  Mr.  Pope  did  send 
Nancy  Taylor  to  Mr.  Funk's  Havoc  (as  witnesses  affirm)  he 
must  certainly  have  sent  her  to  the  chestnut  horse  Havoc,  by 
Sir  Charles, — Sir  Alfred.  Nor  will  it  be  pretended  that,  at 
that  time,  when  no  portion  of  this  interest  (which  now  lies 
in  the  pedigree  of  Pilot,  Jr.)  had  attached  to  this  simple 
transaction,  any  of  these  neighbors'  boys  were  likely  to  have 
known  any  facts  to  outweigh  these  truths  and  probabilities. 

Of  the  actual  breeding  of  Nancy  Pope  (the  pedigree  In 
question),  I  know  nothing.  All  I  do  know  or  surmise  of  its 
connection  is  as  follows:  My  eldest  living  brother,  Larz 
Anderson,  then,  through  my  father's  death,  "in  loco  parentis," 
to  me,  in  June,  1828,  married  Miss  Anne  Pope,  the  only 
daughter  of  Mr.  Wm.  Pope,  who  owned  these  mares.  Some 
time  previously  I  had  become  intimate  with  his  boys,  though 
I  had  known  the  family  all  my  life.  The  family  had  been 
close  friends  since  the  period  when  Louisville  was  St.  Nelson. 
And,  from  the  time  of  that  marriage,  as  long  as  his  family 


218 


TROTTING   FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

occupied  the  farm,  I  was  as  much  "at  home"  there  as  one 
of  his  own  children  almost. 

Now  at  the  period  of  the  wedding  (certainly  a  marked  oc- 
casion and  date  to  me),  I  well  remember  a  grey  filly  there, 
out  of  Nancy  Taylor.  She  was  two  or  three  years  old.  She  was 
a  dark  but  bluish  grey,  i  doubt  if  I  am  as  good  a  judge  of 
a  horse  as  my  friend  and  kinsman,  Edmund  Pearce.  Still, 
although  I  remember  her  as  larger  than  her  dam,  I  could 
never  consider  her  as  "coarse"  in  the  sense  of  a  likeness 
to  "large  farm  horses"  nor  as  being  out  of  the  proportions  of 
thoroughbreds.  I  certainly  did  not  and  do  not  suppose  her 
to  have  been  thoroughbred.  (In  your  advertisement  of  Al- 
mont  she  is  "said  to  be  strictly  thoroughbred").  I  only  mean 
to  say  that  I  have  seen  a  great  many  true  thoroughbreds,  es- 
pecially in  England,  which  were  both  larger  and  coarser  than 
this  grey  filly  of  1828. 

But,  "Mr.  Pearce  is  positive  in  his  assertion  that  about  1831 
Mr.  Pope  bred  Nancy  Taylor  to  a  farm  stallion,  and  the 
produce  was  a  filly  larger  and  coarser  than  her  dam,  that 
afterwards  was  called  Nancy  Pope,  and  became  the  dam  of 
Pilot,  Jr."  Now,  if  there  be  no  mistake  here,  the  question  is 
settled  without  appeal.  But  is  there  no  mistake?  I  repeat 
that  I  am  sure  Mr.  Pope  had  a  grey  filly  out  of  Nancy  Taylor 
in  1828,  which  he  presented  to  my  brother  Larz,  and  that  he 
sent  her  for  awhile  to  pasture  at  Soldier's  Retreat,  where 
I  was  living  (the  only  son)  with  my  mother.  And,  further- 
more, I  cannot  recollect  any  other  grey  filly  out  of  Nancy 
Taylor  or  any  other  dam  on  that  place,  until  it  was  rented  out 
to  Judge  Mclnley  of  Alabama,  and  Mr.  Pope  moved  to  Louis- 
ville. Does  anyone  remember  a  second?  What  does  Mr. 
Robert  Pope,  the  only  remaining  son  of  Mr.  Pope  (and  of 
1814,  too),  remember  of  there  being  two  grey  fillies?  or  Mr. 
Speed,  Pearce  or  Gray  (who,  by  the  way,  was  as  often  on  the 
farm  as  E.  Pearce)? 

My  own  recollection  is,  of  course,  not  conclusive.  But,  I 
submit,  is  it  not  of  a  nature  as  weighty  as  Mr.  Pearce's  recol- 
lection of  the  date  X1831)  when  a  neighbor  sent  a  mare  to  a 
common  stallion,  an  event  which  did  not  contain  the  slightest 


219 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

import  or  interest  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century?  The 
case  of  Attorney-General  Speed  is  an  example  of  the  native 
unreliability  of  such  testimony.  He  "recollected"  the  year 
18.24-5  as  the  time  when  "Mr.  Pope  presented  Nancy  Taylor 
to  his  father."  It  turns  out  to  have  been  in  1833,  nine  years 
later.  (I  Have  reasons  to  doubt  whether  it  was  not  still  a 
year  later,  1834). 

Now,  this  affair  of  the  ownership  of  a  pet  mare,  by  Judge 
Speed,  must  have  been  one  of  far  more  interest  to  one  of  his 
sons  than  that  of  the  time  when  a  neighbor  sent  a  mare  to  a 
common  farm  horse  could  possibly  be  to  the  other.  And  yet 
the  attorney-general  of  the  United  States  (and,  let  me  add, 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  and  best  men  in  the  State)  forgets 
the  date  of  that  transaction  by  a  gap  or  nine  or  ten  years. 
I  insist,  then,  that  it  is  not  only  no  impeachment  of  Mr. 
Pearce,  not  the  least,  to  express  a  doubt  of  his  date,  but  that 
his  recollection  (if  there  were  no  counter  memories)  is  per 
se  of  very  slight  historic  weight. 

So  as  the  testimony  stands  then  (counting  in  it,  of  course, 
my  own  recollection)  I  must  believe  that  after  1828  Nancy 
Taylor  had  no  grey  filly;  that  this  filly  must  certainly  have 
been  begotten  by  a  horse  standing  some  four  miles  off,  be- 
tween 1824  and  1828;  that  Major  Funk,  then  and  there,  kept 
a  stallion.  Havoc  by  name,  a  chestnut  in  color,  and  claimed 
and  reputed  to  be  by  Sir  Charles — Sir  Alfred — and  that  Mr. 
Funk  neither  had  nor  stood  any  large  bay  or  other  farm 
horse,  until  long  after  these  dates,  when,  abandoning  his 
thoroughbred  mania,  he  did  buy  and  stand  such  a  horse, 
named,  I  think,  Pennsylvania  Farmer. 

All  this,  sir,  may  not  prove  that  Pilot,  Jr.'s  grandsire  was 
Sir  Charles.  Indeed,  it  does  not  prove  it,  but  it  surely 
diminishes  the  probabilities  of  the  contrary  supposition  to  a 
very  attenuated  quantity.  And,  if  the  question  must  be  re- 
duced to  a  single  point  between  that  pedigree  on  the  one 
hand  and  the  allegations  of  Nancy  Pope's  sire  being  a  "large, 
bay  horse"  or  a  "common  farm  horse,  called  Havoc"  or  any 
other  sort  of  a  horse  than  that  claimed  by  Peter  Funk,  on 

220 


TROTTING   FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

the  other  hand;  then,  indeed,  in  my  judgment,  it  is  a  certainty 
that  the  former  pedigree  is  established. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  gi*ey  filly  that  was 
presented  by  her  breeder,  Mr.  Pope,  to  Larz  Anderson 
in  1828,  and  was  then  two  or  three  years  old,  was 
afterwards  known  as  Nancy  Pope,  and  was  the  dam 
of  Pilot,  Jr.  The  latter  is  registered  in  the  Breeders^ 
Trotting  Stud  Book,  published  in  1881,  and  his  pedigree 
which  is  there  given  as  follows  is  undoubtedly  correct : 
"Pilot,  Jr.,  gr.  h,  foaled  1844,  bred  by  Lugerean  Gray, 
and  foaled  the  property  of  John  T.  Gray,  Gray- 
bolt,  Jefferson  Co.,  Ky.,  got  by  old  pacing  Pilot, 
a  horse  of  unknown  blood  that,  it  is  said,  was  brought 
from  Canada;  dam  Nancy  Pope  by  Havoc,  son  of  Sir 
Charles  (Havoc's  dam  by  Chanticleer;  2nd  dam 
Camilla  by  Symme's  Wildair,  etc.) ;  2nd  dam  Nancy 
Taylor  by  Craig's  Alfred,  son  of  imported  Medley. 
Sold  when  four  years  old  to  D.  Heinsohn,  Louisville, 
Ky.,  and  soon  afterward  to  R.  A.  Alexander,  Spring 
Station,  Ky.  Died  April  14,  1865,  at  Montgomery, 
Kane  Co.,  111.,  where  he  had  been  sent  by  Mr.  Alexander 
along  with  nearly  all  his  valuable  trotting  stock,  to 
escape  danger  from  guerrillas." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  had  Mr.  Anderson  been  called 
as  a  witness  in  the  case  and  his  statements  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  Board  of  Censors,  along  with  those  of 
Mr.  Pearce,  that  the  dam  of  Pilot,  Jr.,  would  now 
appear  in  the  American  Trotting  Register  as  Nancy 
Pope  by  Funk's  Havoc,  a  son  of  Sir  Charles,  the  same 
as  given  in  the  Breeders'  Trotting  Stud  Book,  a  work 
in  which  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander,  the  proprietor  of  Wood- 
burn  Farm,  and  Mr.  Lucas  Brodhead,  the  superintend- 


221 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

ent  of  that  establishment,  were  somewhat  interested. 
They  were  both  on  the  committee  on  rules  for  registra- 
tion by  which  that  register  was  governed. 

Pilot,  Jr.,  was  the  most  successful  stallion  of  his  day 
as  a  sire  of  fast  trotters.  No  other  stallion  that  was 
foaled  so  early  as  1844,  sired  so  many  that  trotted 
to  records  of  2.30  or  better  as  he.  The  number  of  his 
get  that  made  records  of  2.30  or  better  was  eight,  and 
all  of  them  were  trotters.  The  fastest  of  these  was 
John  Morgan  (also  known  as  Medoc)  (2.24),  whose 
dam.  Croppy,  was  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  Medoc 
by  American  Eclipse,  and  whose  second  dam  was  by 
Thornton's  Rattler,  son  of  Sir  Archy.  John  Morgan 
could  probably  show  as  much  speed  as  any  trotter  of 
his  day.  Geo.  P.  Floyd,  who  raced  him  for  a  time,  once 
made  a  w^ager  that  John  Morgan  could  trot  a  quarter 
on  Mystic  Park  track  in  30  seconds  or  better,  and  won 
the  bet.  This  horse  had  enough  speed  and  endurance 
when  in  his  prime  to  beat  any  trotter  then  on  the  turf. 
He  was  also  a  game  trotter,  but  was  such  a  fearful 
puller  that  he  wasted  a  large  amount  of  energy  that 
way. 

Bayard  (2.313-4).  Pilot,  Jr.  is  credited  with  six 
sons  that  sired  twenty-six  trotters  and  eight  pacers, 
which  made  records  in  standard  time.  His  most  suc- 
cessful son,  as  a  sire  of  standard  performers,  was 
Bayard  (2.313-4),  that  got  nine  trotters  and  six 
pacers  which  made  standard  records.  The  fastest  of 
Bayard's  get  is  Kitty  Bayard  (2.121-4).  The  dam  of 
Bayard  was  by  Adam's  American,  a  son  of  White- 
hall, and  Whitehall  was  by  North  American,  the  son 
of  the  thoroughbred  Sir  W^alter,  that  got  the  dam  of 


222 


I 


TROTTING    FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

Strathmore.  Bayard's  second  dam  was  by  Vermont 
Black  Hawk,  and  his  third  dam  by  Hammond's  Mag- 
num Bonum,  a  son  of  imported  Magnum  Bonum. 
Bayard  is  credited  with  thirteen  sons  that  got  nine 
trotters  and  ten  pacers  which  made  standard  records. 
None  of  the  direct  descendants  of  Bayard  in  the  male 
line  that  we  can  recall  are  now  perpetuating  standard 
speed. 

Tattler  (2.26).  The  most  successful  son  of  Pilot, 
Jr.,  as  a  perpetuator  of  standard  speed,  was  Tattler 
(2.26).  The  dam  of  Tattler  was  Telltale,  a  thorough- 
bred daughter  of  Telamon,  by  Medoc,  son  of  American 
Eclipse;  second  dam  Flea,  by  Medoc;  third  dam 
Martha  Darneal,  by  Sumpter,  son  of  Sir  Archy,  and 
fourth  dam  Arminda,  by  Doublehead,  a  son  of  imported 
Diomed.  One  of  the  sons  of  Tattler  was  Rumor  (2.20), 
that  got  Edgardo  (2.13  3-4),  the  sire  of  Tomah  (2.10). 
Another  son  of  Tattler  that  is  still  perpetuating  speed 
in  the  male  line  was  Voltaire  (2.20  1-4),  the  sire  of 
Bessemer  (2.13  3-4).  The  dam  of  Bessemer  was  by 
Concord,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  the  renowned  Lexing- 
ton. Besse^ner  is  the  sire  of  Be  Sure  (2.06  3-4),  that  is 
now  credited  with  eight  pacers  that  have  made  records 
in  standard  time. 

Daughters  of  Pilot  Jr.  The  daughters  of  Pilot 
Jr.  were  more  successful  in  transmitting  a  high  rate 
of  speed  than  his  sons.  The  first  trotter  that  ever 
took  so  fast  a  record  as  2.10  was  Jay-Eye-See,  and  his 
dam  was  by  Pilot  Jr.  The  first  trotter  to  beat  2.10  was 
Maud  S.,  and  she  finally  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.08  3-4, 
hitched  to  a  high  wheel,  plain  axle  sulky  and  over  a 
regulation  track.     The  dam  of  Maud  S.  was  also  by 


223 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Pilot  Jr.  The  number  of  standard  performers  pro- 
duced by  daughters  of  Pilot  Jr.  is  forty,  and  thirty- 
seven  of  Them  were  trotters.  The  most  noted  of  his 
daughter8  as  producers  were  Miss  Russell,  Midnight 
and  Waterwitch.  Miss  Russell  is  credited  with  seven 
in  the  list,  and  among  them  are  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4), 
Slavonic  (2.09  3-4),  and  Nutwood  (2.18  3-4).  Miss 
Russell  was  also  the  dam  of  Lord  Russell,  the  most 
successful  son  of  Harold  as  a  sire.  He  was  a  full 
brother  of  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4),  and  among  his  get  was 
the  world^s  champion  five-year-old  trotter  of  his  day, 
Kremlin  (2.07  3-4). 

Nutwood  (2.18  3-4).  Nutwood  (2.18  3-4)  was  one 
of  the  most  successful  sires  and  perpetuators  of 
standard  speed  that  has  ever  lived.  He  is  credited 
with  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  trotters  and  thirty- 
five  pacers,  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  that 
have  made  standard  records;  with  one  hundred  and 
forty-one  sons  that  had  sired  a  total  of  four  hundred 
and  eighty  trotters  and  three  hundred  and  fifty-five 
pacers  that  had  made  standard  records  up  to  the  close 
of  1903,  and  also  with  one  hundred  and  thirty-one 
daughters  that  had  up  to  that  time  produced  one 
hundred  and  sixty-nine  trotters  and  fifty-three  pacers, 
a  total  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  that  had  made 
records  in  standard  time.  No  other  stallion  that  has 
ever  lived  can  begin  to  compare  with  Nutwood 
(2.18  3-4)  as  a  brood  mare  sire.  The  dam  of  Miss 
Russell  was  Sally  Russell,  and  she  was  a  thoroughbred 
daughter  of  the  famous  long  distance  race  winner  Bos- 
ton, the  most  successful  race  horse  of  his  day  on  the 
runninsr  turf. 


224 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM   PACERS, 

Midnight.  Midnight,  by  Pilot,  Jr.,  produced  three 
with  trotting  records  from  2.10  to  2.20  1-2,  and  one 
of  them,  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10),  is  also  credited  with  a 
pacing  record  of  2.06 1-4.  Two  of  Midnight's  sons, 
viz.,  Beaumont  and  Electricity  (2.17  3-4),  are  proving 
quite  successful  as  sires  of  speed.  Among  the  get  of 
the  latter  is  the  trotter  Surpol  (2.10).  The  dam  of 
Midnight  was  Twilight,  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of 
the  great  four-mile  world's  record  breaker  Lexington. 
The  latter  was  the  most  famous  son  of  Boston,  sire  of 
the  dam  of  Miss  Russell.  The  second  dam  of  Midnight 
was  Daylight  by  imported  Glencoe;  third  dam  Dark- 
ness by  Wagner,  the  most  noted  four-mile  race  winner 
of  his  day;  fourth  dam  Lady  Gray,  by  Sir  Richard 
Tonson;  and  fifth  dam  Lucy  Clark,  by  Oscar,  a  son 
of  Roanoke,  by  Sir  Archy. 

Water  WITCH.  Waterwitch,  by  Pilot  Jr.,  is  the  dam 
of  six  trotters  with  records  of  2.30  or  better,  including 
Viking  (2.191-4).  Five  of  the  sons  of  Waterwitch 
have  sired  2.30  speed,  and  six  of  her  daughters  have 
produced  sixteen  trotters  and  four  pacers  that  have 
made  standard  records.  The  dam  of  Waterwitch  was 
by  Kinkead's  St.  Lawrence,  a  son  of  the  old  trotter 
St.  Lawrence,  that  originated  in  Canada.  The  second 
dam  of  Waterwitch  was  Brenda.  She  was  by  a  thor- 
oughbred colt,  which,  as  stated  in  Volume  3  of 
Wallace's  American  Trotting  Register,  was  believed 
to  be  Oliver,  whose  sire  was  the  famous  old  four-mile 
racer  Wagner,  by  Sir  Charles,  son  of  Sir  Archy. 
The  dam  of  Oliver  was  Flight,  by  imported  Leviathan ; 
second  dam  Charlotte  Hamilton,  by  Sir  Charles,  son 
of  Sir  Archy ;  third  dam,  Lady-of-the-Lake,  by  imported 


225 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Sir  Harry;  fourth  dam  by  imported  Diomed, 
and  fifth  dam  by  imported  St.  George.  Daugh- 
ters of  Waterwitch  have  proved  more  succes-^ful 
as  producers  than  the  daughters  of  any  other  of  the 
great  brood  mares.  Six  of  them  have  produced  twenty 
that  have  made  records  in  standard  time,  and  sixteen 
of  the  twenty  are  trotters.  Her  daughter  Sprite,  by 
Belmont,  son  of  Alexander's  Abdallah,  is  the  dam  of 
four  trotters  with  standard  records.  Three  of  the  four 
are  the  stallions  Sphinx  (2.201-2),  Egotist  (2.221-2) 
and  Electrite  (2.281-2).  All  three  are  by  Electioneer. 
Sphinx  and  Electrite  are  proving  the  most  successful 
sons  of  Electioneer  of  their  ages  as  sires  of  uniform 
standard  speed. 

Tackey.  Tackey  (2.26),  the  fastest  daughter  of 
Pilot,  Jr.,  by  the  records,  was  mated  with  Happy 
Medium,  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  the  result 
was  the  very  successful  trotting  sire  Pilot  Medium. 
The  latter  met  with  an  accident  when  young  and  was 
never  trained.  He  is  credited  with  ninety-nine  trotters 
and  twenty -three  pacers  that  have  made  standard 
records,  fifteen  of  which  are  in  the  2.15  list,  including 
Peter  the  Great  (2.071-4),  Pilot  Boy  (2.091-4),  Wau- 
bun  (2.09  1-4),  B.  B.  P.  (4)  (2.09  3-4)  and  Pilot  Me- 
dium, Jr.  (2.09  3-4).  The  vast  superiority  of  Pilot 
Medium  over  all  other  sons  of  Happy  Medium  is  appar- 
ent from  the  fact  that  the  latter  is  credited  with  sixty- 
six  producing  sons  which  had  sired  in  all,  to  the  close 
of  1903,  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  trotters  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  pacers  with  standard 
records.  Deducting  from  this  number  the  ninety-nine 
trotters  and  twenty -three  pacers  got  by  Pilot  Medium 


226 


TROTTING    FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

it  leaves  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  trotters  and  one 
hundred  and  four  pacers  to  the  credit  of  the  other 
sixty-five  sons  of  Happy  Medium.  The  dam  of  Tackey 
(2.26)  was  Jenny  Lind,  by  imported  Bellfounder,  the 
Norfolk  trotter  that  got  the  dam  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian.  Beyond  that,  the  breeding  of  Tackey  was 
unknown.  The  Pilot  Jr.  strain  is  undoubtedly  the 
most  valuable  of  all  pacing  crosses  in  a  trotting 
pedigree,  especially  when  coming  through  either  of 
the  mares  named  above,  particularly  Miss  Russell. 

Wilson's  Blue  Bull.  The  most  important  of  all 
the  trotting  families  that  sprang  from  pacers  is  that 
known  as  Blue  Bull.  The  history  of  Blue  Bull,  the 
founder  of  this  family,  reads  more  like  a  romance  than 
reality.  No  parallel  to  it  can  be  found  among  all  the 
trotting  sires.  It  has  been  stated,  upon  apparently 
good  authority,  that  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  began  his  stud 
career  in  the  humble  capacity  of  teaser  for  a  jack. 
During  the  time  he  was  so  employed  a  few  mares  which 
were  not  considered  suitable  to  raise  mules  were  bred 
to  him  at  a  fee  of  |5,  and  it  was  through  the  produce 
of  such  mares  that  his  merits  as  a  trotting  sire  were 
first  brought  to  notice. 

According  to  the  American  Trotting  Register,  Wil- 
son's Blue  Bull  was  bred  by  Elijah  Stone  of  Indiana, 
and  foaled  in  1844.  His  sire  was  Pruden's  Blue  Bull, 
a  horse  that  never  produced  any  other  animal  of  special 
notje.  A  physician  of  Dillsboro,  Ind.,  who  was  some- 
thing of  a  horseman  and  knew  Pruden's  Blue  Bull  well, 
gave  the  following  description  of  him  through  the 
Western  Sportsman  some  years  ago,  under  the  nom  de 
plume  "Phipp."     The  doctor  paced  a  Tom  Hal  mare 


227 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

against  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  in  1859,  and  got  beaten. 
This  doctor  says: 

He  was  also  known  as  Old  Sam,  and  is  recorded 
in  the  American  Trotting  Register  as  Pruden's  Blue 
Bull.  He  is  described  by  the  doctor  in  the  article 
above  mentioned  as  a  dun-colored  animal,  sixteen  and 
one-half  hands  high,  two  white  stockings  behind  and 
one  forward,  the  other  leg  being  zebra  marked.  He 
was  blind  in  one  eye,  had  a  white  face,  black  mane 
and  tail,  a  black  stripe  down  the  back,  and  weighed 
about  twelve  hundred  pounds. 

The  doctor  further  says: 

His  appearance  was  the  most  peculiar  I  ever  saw.  From 
a  side  view  one  would  judge  him  to  be  a  draught  horse,  but 
a  front  or  rear  view  would  dispel  the  illusion.  His  hind  legs 
were  sickle  shaped,  front  knees  sprung  backwards,  legs  wide 
and  thin,  very  short  from  knees  down,  great  length  of  arms, 
with  muscles  long  and  massive,  hips  extending  so  far  forward 
and  shoulders  so  far  backward  that  there  was  not  length 
enough  of  back  for  an  ordinary  riding  saddle  to  be  properly 
adjusted.  He  seemed  to  be  made  of  hips  and  shoulders,  but 
had  a  good  length  of  belly.  His  only  gait  was  a  pace.  I  have 
often  seen  him  pace  with  a  running  horse  beside  him,  and 
for  a  few  hundred  yards  he  would  almost  come  out  ahead. 

He  was  bought  of  Mrs.  Morgan  of  Butler  County,  Ohio  (she 
lived  on  the  dry  fork  of  White  Water)  by  a  Mr.  Little,  and 
sold  to  the  Hon.  Chester  R.  Faulkner  of  Ripley  County,  Ind., 
and  groomed  by  James  D.  English  in  1851-2-3.  In  the  fall  of 
1853  Faulkner  sold  him  to  a  Mr.  Griffen  of  Ohio  County,  and 
about  this  time  he  got  Wilson's  Blue  Bull.  In  the  fall  of  1850, 
Oliver  S.  Muiford  of  this  place  attended  the  sale  of  Mrs. 
Morgan,  and  bought  Tiger,  a  full  brother  of  Pruden's  Blue 
Bull,  and  two  years  younger.  The  pedigree  given  was:  Sired 
by  Old  Tom,  the  old  Blue  Bull  of  Butler  County,  Ohio,  he 
by  Chester  Ball  of  Pennsylvania,  he  by  a  Canadian  pacer; 
dam  by  Cadmus. 


228 


TROTTING   FAMILIES    FROM    PACERS. 

This,  the  doctor  tells  us  in  a  private  letter,  was  the 
pedigree  given  Mr.  Mulford  at  the  time  of  purchase. 
Some  few  years  later  the  pacer  Pocahontas  (2.17  1-2) 
created  a  great  sensation  by  her  wonderful  speed.  As 
she  was  by  a  horse  called  Cadmu-s,  and  was  raised  in 
the  vicinity  where  Pruden's  Blue  Bull  and  Tiger  were 
produced,  Mr.  Mulford  got  the  impression  that  the  dam 
of  these  horses  was  by  the  sire  of  Pocahontas^  and 
so  stated.  This  statement  was  published  in  the 
Western  Sportsman.  Mr.  Mulford  must  have  been 
mistaken,  however,  for  in  1838  Cadmus,  by  American 
Eclipse,  dam,  Di  Vernon,  by  Florizel,  son  of  imported 
Diomed,  was  taken  to  Lebanon,  Warren  Co.,  O.,  where 
he  remained  a  few  seasons.  In  1839  he  was  bred  to  a 
daughter  of  Brunswick,  by  Sumpter,  a  son  of  Sir 
Archy,  and  the  result  was  Iron's  Cadmus,  foaled  in 
1840.  The  latter  got  Pocahontas,  but  the  Cadmus 
which  sired  Iron^s  Cadmus  must  have  been  the  horse 
referred  to  in  the  pedigree,  for  Pruden's  Blue  Bull, 
according  to  the  Trotting  Register,  was  foaled  in  1844 ; 
hence  his  dam  was  probably  foaled  as  early  as  1840. 
The  oldest  of  Iron's  Cadmus'  get  could  not  have  been 
foaled  earlier  than  1843. 

Old  Sam,  or  Pruden's  Blue  Bull,  as  he  is  now  known,  was 
by  Herring's  Blue  Bull,  which  was  described  as  follows  by- 
Mr.  J.  G.  Vaughn  of  Odin,  111.,  in  Coleman's  Rural  World  a 
few  years  since,  who  states  that  the  dates  are  given  from 
memory,  and  may  be  slightly  incorrect,  but  the  facts  can  be 
substantiated. 

This  horse.  Herring's  Blue  Bull,  was  brought  from  Penn- 
sylvania, says  Hr.  Vaughn,  by  Henry  Snively,  to  Wayne 
Township,  Butler  County,  O.,  and  sold  to  John  Herring  of  Hor- 
gan  Township  (same  county)  about  the  year  1825.  Hr.  Her- 
ring kept  him  about  eight  years,  and  always  advertised  him  as 


229 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

"The  Ohio  Farmer."  He  was  then,  sold  to  some  parties  in 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  some  twelve  to 
fifteen  years.  Between  1845  and  1850  the  old  horse  was 
brought  back  to  Ohio,  and  Kept  by  Henry  Grisley  at  New 
Baltimore,  in  Hamilton  County,  a  few  miles  south  of  Mer- 
ring's  old  place,  and  here  he  died,  reputed  to  be  considerably 
over  30  years  of  age. 

John  Wrfght,  a  noted  auctioneer  and  facetious  wag,  who 
lived  within  a  half-mile  ot  Merring,  nicknamed  the  horse  "The 
Blue  Bull"  on  account  of  his  very  peculiar  color,  build  and 
general  appearance,  and  this  name,  first  applied  in  derision, 
seemed  so  appropriate  that  it  shortly  became  the  generally 
recognized  name  of  the  stock. 

The  horse  was  a  deep  mouse  color,  generally  called  blue, 
blaze  face,  glass  eyes,  heavy  black  mane  and  tail,  black  stripe 
down  his  back,  legs  white  to  the  knees,  and  from  there  up 
had  yellow  stripes  around  them.  He  was  a  powerfully  built, 
heavy-bodied,  close-ribbed  horse,  with  an  enormous  beefy 
neck,  a  natural  pacer  and  clumsy  in  his  gait.  And  these 
characteristics  were  inherited  by  many  of  his  descendants. 
The  majority,  I  think,  were  either  mouse  color  or  a  very 
peculiar  yellow  bay,  and  striped  like  the  old  horse. 

Many  of  them  were  natural  pacers,  and  but  few  proved 
to  be  good  riding  horses,  on  account  of  their  clumsy  and 
stumbling  gait.  They  were,  however,  a  strong,  tough,  hardy 
race  of  horses,  and  served  admirably  for  heavy  teaming  in 
this  hilly  country,  before  the  days  of  turnpikes  and  railroads, 
but  they  have  now  given  place  to  a  more  stylish  class  of 
horses. 

During  the  life  of  the  "Old  Blue  Bull,"  I  never  heard  of 
any  of  his  stock  having  much  speed  or  activity,  except  an 
occasional  colt  from  a  warmer-blooded  mare,  but  this  was  the 
exception  and  not  the  general  rule.  If  exceptional  speed  has 
since  been  developed  in  his  more  remote  descendants,  it  has 
probably  been  derived  from  some  other  source.  , 

It  is  evident  that  whatever  characteristics  the  sire  of 
Wilson^s  Blue  Bull  may  have  inherited  from  th^  above 
animal,  his  speed  must  have  come  from  his  dam,  or  some 


230 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PACERS. 

source  other  than  this  strong  but  clumsy,  awkward, 
pacing  cart  horse.  Although  nothing  is  found  in  any 
standard  work,  or  any  other  that  we  have  yet  seen,  giv- 
ing any  account  of  the  dam  of  this  Cadmus  Mare,  the 
section  of  country  in  which  the  latter  originated  ren- 
ders it  probable  that  her  dam  may  have  been  from  good 
ancestry.  Tiger,  full  brother  to  Wilson's  Blue  Bull, 
was  quite  fast  for  his  time,  it  is  said,  both  at  trotting 
and  pacing. 

The  dam  of  Wilson^s  Blue  Bull,  as  described  by  her 
breeder,  Mr.  Elijah  Stone,  was  a  sorrel  chestnut,  about 
fifteen  hands  one  inch,  with  good  trotting  action  and 
considerable  speed.  In  a  letter  published  in  Wallace^s 
Monthly  Mr.  Stone  states  that  "she  was  by  Young 
Selim,  a  Truxton  horse  of  great  power.  At  one  time 
she  was  ridden  eighty-seven  miles  in  eleven  hours,  and 
carried  a  man  weighing  one  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds."  Young  Selim,  according  to  Mr.  Stone,  was 
a  black  horse  standing  about  sixteen  and  one-half 
hands,  but  the  old  Truxton  from  which  he  descended 
was  a  beautiful  bay  of  considerable  speed  and  a  natural 
trotter. 

The  Trotting  Register  does  not  give  any  clue  to  the 
origin  of  this  ''Truxton  horse  of  great  power,"  which 
was  undoubtedly  the  most  potent  speed  factor  in  the 
pedigree  of  Wilson's  Blue  Bull.  The  most  noted 
family  of  Truxton's,  however,  was  founded  by  General 
Jackson's  famous  thoroughbred  race  horse  of  that 
name,  which  is  described  at  considerable  length  in  Vol. 
IV.  of  Wallace's  Monthly,  from  which  we  quote  the 
following : 


231 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Of  all  the  horses  that  won  distinction  under  his  (General 
Jackson's)  management,  Truxton  stood  unrivalled  in  the 
affections  of  a  devoted  master.  Alexander  the  Great  was  not 
more  attached  to  his  beautiful  Bucephalus  than  General  Jack- 
son was  to  the  great  Truxton.  After  Truxton  had  performed 
prodigies  for  him  upon  the  turf,  he  retired  to  his  harem  at  the 
Hermitage,  where  he  was  well  cared  for.  From  him  de- 
scended some  of  the  best  horses  ever  known  upon  the  Ameri- 
can turf.  He  sustained,  perfectly  unihipaired  with  the  public, 
the  generous  opinion  entertained  of  him  by  his  more  than 
partial  owner.  A  writer  of  the  period  says:  "Every  drop 
of  his  blood  is  to  be  prized,  wherever  it  is  to  be  found."  As 
a  curiosity  in  horse  literature,  we  insert  the  following  as 
General  Jackson's  opinion  of  his  favorite.  It  was  written 
after  Truxton  had  retired  from  the  turf: 

"Truxton  is  a  beautiful  bay,  full  of  bone  and  muscle,  was 
got  by  the  imported  horse,  Old  Diomed,  and  came  out  of  the 
thoroughbred  mare  Nancy  Coleman,  the  property'  of  Major 
John  Verrell  of  Virginia.  Truxton,  however,  is  too  well 
known  to  require  minute  description.  His  performances  on 
the  turf  have  surpassed  those  of  any  horse  of  his  age  that  has 
ever  been  run  in  the  Western  country,  and,  indeed,  it  may  be 
said  with  confidence  that  he  is  equal  if  not  superior  to  Mr. 
Ball's  Florizel,  who  was  got  by  the  same  Diomed,  and  who 
now  stands  unrivalled  in  Virginia  as  a  race  horse.  Truxton, 
by  old  sportsmen  and  judges,  is  admitted  to  be  amongst  the 
best  distance  horses  that  ever  ran  or  had  to  train. 

"His  speed  is  certainly  unknown  to  all  those  who  have  run 
against  him.  He  has,  on  the  most  unequal  terms,  started 
against  the  very  best  mile  horses  in  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee, and  beaten  them  with  great  ease,  and  in  no  one  in- 
stance has  ever  run  with  any  horse,  when  he  himself  was  in 
order,  but  he  either  could  or  did  distance  him  with  ease. 
Although  four-mile  heats  is  the  real  and  true  distance  for 
Truxton  to  run,  he  has  beaten  Mr.  Gordon's  fine  mile  horse, 
Jack  of  Clubs,  and  Mr.  Cotton's  Greyhound,  both  aged  horses, 
with  equal  weights  of  100  pounds  on  each,  mile  heats. 


232 


H^K^ 

^€M 

1          w 

3J'^!^| 

r  1 

'^K 

^^*t^| 

■i 

^ 

TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PACERS. 

"And  lastly,  to  crown  the  much  doubted  speed  of  Truxton 
with  his  opponents,  he  beat,  on  only  two  sound  legs,  on  April 
3,  1806,  over  the  Clover  Bottom  course,  the  celebrated  horse 
Plow  Boy,  who  was  never  before  beaten,  and  beating  him 
without  the  assistance  of  whip  or  spur.  It  is  now  no  longer 
for  the  numerous  concourse  of  people  who  were  present  on 
that  day  to  say  whether  or  not  Truxton  be  the  true  bred 
racer.  Truxton's  winnings,  from  time  to  time,  from  the 
most  correct  information,  amount  to  at  least  $20,000,  and  his 
colts  are  not  inferior  to  any  on  the  continent. 

"(Signed)     ANDREW  JACKSON." 

As  Young  Selim,  which  got  the  dam  of  Blue  Bull, 
was  a  "Truxton  horse  of  great  power,"  it  was  not 
surprising  that  Wilson^s  Blue  Bull  was  fast  and  sired 
speed  in  spite  of  the  lack  of  speed  displayed  by  any  of 
his  ancestors,  so  far  as  known  In  the  paternal  lines. 
It  is  more  than  probable  that  he  inherited  his  speed 
ability  from  his  own  dam  and  from  the  Cadmus  mare 
that  waiS  the  dam  of  his  sire. 

The  second  dam  of  Blue  Bull  is  described  by  Mr. 
Stone  as  a  bright  bay,  nearly  fifteen  hands,  and  a 
trotter.  The  dam  of  Blue  Bull  was  said  at  one  time 
to  have  been  by  Blacknose,  a  thoroughbred  son  of 
Medoc,  by  American  Eclipse,  but  according  to  Mr. 
Stone's  statement  that  must  be  incorrect,  unless  Young 
Selim  and  Blacknose  are  two  names  for  the  same 
animal,  which  is  not  probable.  The  high  form  and 
blood-like  quality  shown  by  many  of  Blue  BulPs  get  are 
sure  indications  that  the  coarse  characteristics  in- 
herited from  his  paternal  ancestors  were  overcome  by 
royal  blood  from  some  source.  The  facts  given  above 
undoubtedly  point  with  great  certainty  to  the  real 
source  from  which  they  were  inherited. 


2^H 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

In  1857,  when  three  years  old,  Wilson^s  Blue  Bull 
was  sold  by  his  breeder,  Mr.  Elijah  Stone,  to  Mr.  Daniel 
Dorrell.  In  1865  Mr.  Dorrell  sold  him  to  Mr.  James 
Wilson  of  Rushville,  Ind.,  for  $300,  on  condition  that 
he  should  show  a  mile  in  2.45,  a  feat  which  he  easily 
accomplished,  with  something  to  spare.  It  is  stated 
upon  good  authority  that  the  reason  for  keeping  him 
entire  was  on  account  of  being  what  is  improperly 
termed  a  ridgling.  Only  one  of  his  testicles  ever 
descended  to  his  scrotum.  After  passing  to  the  owner- 
ship of  Mr.  Wilson  he  lost  an  eye,  and  also  got  one 
knee  broken  from  a  kick.  He  was  then  thought  of  so 
little  value  that  he  was  assigned  the  menial  position  of 
teaser  to  a  jack,  and  his  services  were  offered  to  such  as 
cared  for  them  at  five  dollars  to  warrant. 

At  this  time  he  is  described  as  a  sleek-coated,  dark 
chestnut,  standing  about  fifteen  hands  two  inches,  with 
a  fine  muzzle,  heavy  jowls,  good  countenance,  mild,  in- 
telligent eye,  long  and  well-arched  neck,  light,  silky 
mane  and  well  proportioned  body  and  limbs.  He  was 
remarkably  fast  for  a  short  distance.  Even  after 
being  crippled  it  is  claimed  that  he  showed  a  half- 
mile  to  saddle  in  1.05,  and  to  wagon  in  1.07.  The 
stud  career  of  this  wonderful  horse  extended  from 
1865  to  1879.  He  got  a  few  foals  prior  to  1865,  how- 
ever, but  during  the  last  three  years  of  his  life  was 
limited  to  very  few  patrons.  His  death  occurred  July 
11,  1880,  from  disease  contracted  in  the  performance 
of  stud  duties.      He  is  registered  as  Blue  Bull  75. 

Twenty  years  ago  this  fall,  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  was 
the  leading  sire  of  2.30  performers.  He  was  then 
credited    with    thirty-eight    trotters    that    had    made 


234 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM   PACERS. 

records  from  2.19  1-2  to  2.30,  and  three  pacers  with 
records  from  2.221-2  to  2.241-2.  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian  was  then  credited  with  thirty-eight  trotters 
that  had  made  records  of  2.30  or  better  to  harness,  and 
another  with  a  record  of  2.33  1-2,  to  wagon ;  and  George 
Wilkes  was  then  credited  with  thirty-four  trotters  and 
one  pacer  that  had  made  standard  records.  At  the 
close  of  the  season  of  1885,  Blue  Bull's  list  of  standard 
performers  included  forty-seven  trotters  and  three 
pacers.  George  Wilkes  (2.22)  was  next  in  rank  with 
forty-one  trotters  and  three  pacers.  At  the  close  of 
the  season  of  1886,  Blue  Bull  was  still  in  the  lead,  with 
forty-nine  trotters  and  three  pacers  to  his  credit  that 
had  taken  standard  records,  making  Blue  Bull  and 
George  Wilkes  just  equal  as  to  numbers  of  performers, 
but  giving  Blue  Bull  one  more  trotter  than  George 
Wilkes.  The  following  year,  however,  George  Wilkes 
took  the  lead  and  Blue  Bull  never  afterward  re- 
gained it. 

The  number  of  the  get  of  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  that 
made  records  in  standard  time  is  sixty,  and  fifty-six 
of  them  were  trotters.  The  fastest  trotter  of  his  get 
was  Zoe  B.  (2.17 1-4)  and  his  fastest  pacer  was 
Georgetown  (2.161-2).  He  is  credited  with  forty- 
eight  sons  that  to  the  close  of  1903  had  sired  fifty-six 
trotters  and  eighty-one  pacers  with  standard  records. 
The  most  successful  of  these  is  Jim  Wilson,  whose 
list  of  standard  record-makers  includes  sixteen  trotters 
and  sixteen  pacers.  The  fastest  of  them  is  Wiltranhy 
(2.06  3-4).  Up  to  the  close  of  last  season  the  names 
of  only  five  sons  of  Jim  Wilson  appeared  in  the  Great 
Table  of  sires  of  standard  performers,  and  the  number 


235 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

of  the  get  of  these  five  that  were  credited  with 
standard  records  was  eight,  three  of  which  were 
trotters.  No  son  of  either  of  these  fLve  stallions  was 
credited  with  a  standard  performer,  which  indicates 
that  this  family  will  soon  cease  perpetuating  in  the 
male  line. 

Daughters  of  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  were  much  more 
successful  in  perpetuating  speed  than  his  sons.  The 
Year  Book  for  1903  credits  him  with  one  hundred  and 
eleven  daughters  that  have  produced  eighty-three 
trotters  and  eighty-seven  pacers  which  have  made 
standard  records,  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  seventy. 
The  fastest  performer  produced  by  a  daughter  of  Blue 
Bull  is  Roy  Wilkes   (2.061-2). 

It  would  seem  from  the  best  information  obtainable 
that  the  breeding  of  Pilot  Jr.  and  Wilson's  Blue  Bull 
was  very  similar.  Both  were  by  pacing  stallions  and 
the  dams  of  both  appear  to  have  been  from  running 
stock.  Other  stallions  bred  in  similar  lines,  viz.,  by 
uniting  a  pacing  animal  with  one  from  running  stock, 
have  also  gained  some  distinction  as  perpetuators  of 
trotting  speed.  Another  instance  of  success  from  such 
breeding  was  North  American,  also  called  the  Bullock 
Horse,  whose  sire  was  the  thoroughbred  Sir  Walter. 
The  latter  was  by  Whip  and  his  dam  was  Nettletop,  by 
imported  Diomed.  The  dam  of  North  American  was 
of  unknown  breeding,  but  she  was  a  fast  pacer. 

Whitehall.  The  only  son  of  North  American  that 
gained  distinction  as  a  perpetuator  of  trotting  speed 
was  Whitehall.  This  horse  is  registered  in  the 
Breeder'^  Trotting  Stud  Book,  and  his  dam  is  giren 
as  by  Cock  of  The  Rock,  a  son  of  Duroc.    The  dam  of 


236 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PACERS. 

this  Cock  of  The  Rock  was  Romp,  by  imported 
Messenger.  Romp  was  a  full  sister  of  Miller's  Damsel, 
the  dam  of  American  Eclipse.  Whitehall  got  one 
trotter  that  took  a  standard  record,  viz.,  Rhode  Island 
(2.231-2). 

Rhode  Island.  "The  Breeders'  Trotting  Stud  Book" 
gives  the  breeding  of  Rhode  Island  as  follows :  "Sire 
Whitehall;  dam  by  Nigger  Baby;  second  dam  bred  in 
New  Jersey,  breeding  unknown."  Rhode  Island  was 
bred  near  Portsmouth,  Ohio.  Nigger  Baby  was  bred 
in  Ohio  and  did  stud  service  in  that  state.  He  had 
the  reputation  of  being  a  very  fast  runner  for  quarter 
and  half  miles  dashes.  His  sire  was  known  as  Tiger 
Whip.  His  dam  was  by  Paragon  and  his  second  dam 
an  Arabian.  Wallace  gave  the  dam  of  Rhode  Island 
as  by  Davy  Crockett,  a  Canadian  pacer  that  was  taken 
to  Kentucky  and  did  stud  service  there,  but  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  that  the  Breeders'  Trotting  Stud 
Book  is  correct,  and  Mr.  Wallace  in  error.  Whitehall 
is  credited  with  three  sons  that  sired  2.30  trotters. 
They  were  Adam's  American,  sire  of  Nelly  Holcomb 
(2.28),  Buck,  sire  of  Brown  Joe  (2.29  1-2),  and  Rhode 
Island,  sire  of  three,  viz.,  Gov.  Sprague  (2.20  1-2),  Jim 
Schriber  (2.21 1-2)  and  Wilmar  (2.29  1-4). 

Gov.  Sprague  (2.201-2).  Gov.  Sprague  (2.201-2) 
was  a  remarkable  horse.  As  a  five-year-old  in  1876 
he  was  the  world's  champion  trotter  of  that  age,  with 
a  record  of  2.20 1-2.  Gov.  Sprague  was  sold  that 
season  to  the  successful  horseman,  the  late  J.  I.  Case 
of  Racine,  Wis.,  for  |27,500.  He  was  foaled  in  1871 
and  died  May  5,  1883.  He  was  not  only  the  fastest 
trotter  got  by  Rhode  Island,  but  was  also  by  far  the 

297 


TEE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

most  successful  son  of  Rhode  Island  as  a  sire  and 
perpetuator  of  speed.  During  his  short  stud  career 
Gov.  Sprague  got  thirty-six  trotters  and  two  pacers 
that  made  records  in  standard  time.  He  is  credited 
with  twenty-four  sons  that  have  sired  seventy  trotters 
and  twenty-seven  pacers  which  have  made  standard 
records,  and  thirty-nine  of  his  daughters  have  produced 
forty-four  trotters  and  thirteen  pacers  that  have  made 
records  in  standard  time.  The  fastest  trotter  produced 
by  a  daughter  of  Gov.  Sprague  is  the  renowned 
McKinney  (2.111-4),  by  Alcyone  (2.27),  that  was 
lately  sold  for  |50,000.  McKinney  outranks  every 
other  stallion  of  his  age  that  has  ever  lived,  as  a  sire 
of  uniform  extreme  trotting  speed. 

The  success  of  Gov.  Sprague  (2.20  1-2)  as  a  trotter, 
and  also  as  a  perpetuator  of  trotting  speed,  is  doubtless 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  his  dam  was  the  great 
brood  mare  Belle  Brandon,  that  also  produced  Amy 
(2.201-4),  etc.,  Belle  Brandon  was  by  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  Her  dam  Jenny  was  by  Young 
Bacchus,  a  son  of  the  running  bred  Cone's  Bacchus, 
whose  sire  was  Bacchus  by  Sir  Archy.  The  second 
dam  of  Belle  Brandon  was  the  Worden  Mare,  by  Exton 
Eclipse,  a  running  bred  son  of  the  famous  American 
Eclipse. 

Blanco.  The  stallion  Blanco,  sire  of  the  renowned 
Smuggler  (2.151-4),  is  another  instance  of  mating  a 
pacing  mare  with  a  stallion  bred  from  race-winning 
running  stock.  Blanco  was  by  Iron's  Cadmus,  a  horse 
registered  in  Bruce's  American  Stud  Book  where  his 
sire  is  given  as  Cadmus,  a  thoroughbred  son  of 
American  Eclipse,  and  his  dam  by  Brunswick,  a  son 


238 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PAGERS. 

of  Sumpter,  by  Sir  Archy ;  second  dam  by  Blackburn's 
Whip,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Whip.  The 
Cadmus  that  got  Iron's  Cadmus  has  sometimes  been 
called  Beach's  Cadmus.  His  sire  was  the  renowned 
American  Eclipse,  by  Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed 
and  from  Miller's  Damsel  by  imported  Messenger.  The 
dam  of  Cadmus  was  Die  Vernon,  by  Ball's  Florizel, 
a  son  of  imported  Diomed. 

Col.  S.  D.  Bruce,  author  of  Bruce's  American  Stud 
Book,  the  standard  thoroughbred  register  of  America, 
stated  in  the  "Horse  Breeders'  Guide  and  Stud  Book,'' 
a  work  published  in  1883,  that  as  a  race  horse  Ball's 
Florizel  had  no  equal  in  his  day.  He  never  lost  a  heat 
or  paid  a  forfeit,  never  knew  the  touch  of  a  spur  or 
heard  the  flourish  of  a  whip.  Ball's  Florizel  got  the 
dam  of  the  distinguished  race  horse  Boston. 

The  dam  of  Blanco,  sire  of  Smuggler,  was  by  Irwin's 
Tuckahoe,  a  horse  bred  from  thoroughbred  and  pacing 
ancestors.  Smuggler  lowered  the  world's  champion 
record  for  trotting  stallions  to  2.15 1-4  in  1876,  and  it 
remained  there  until  1884.  Smuggler  (2.15 1-4)  was 
the  sire  of  ten  trotters  and  two  pacers  that  made 
records  in  standard  time.  He  is  credited  with  twelve 
sons  that  have  sired  fourteen  trotters  and  ten  pacers 
with  standard  records.  Smuggler's  daughters  were 
more  successful  than  his  sons  as  perpetuators  of  speed, 
as  twenty-four  of  them  have  produced  twenty-four 
trotters  and  eight  pacers  with  standard  records,  the 
fastest  of  which  are  the  pacer  Be  Sure  (2.06  3-4)  and 
the  trotter  Miss  Whitney  (2.071-2).  None  of  the 
direct  descendants  of  Smuggler  in  the  mal«  line  that 
we  can  now  recall  is  perpetuating  standard  speed. 

239 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Tom    Rolfb     (2.33 1-2) .     Another    stallion,    whose 
ancestors    included   thoroughbreds    and    pacers,    that 
founded  a  trotting  family,  was  Tom  Rolfe  (2.331-2). 
His  sire  was  Pugh's  Aratus,  a  son  of  Phare's  Aratus, 
and  he  by  Aratus,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Director  by 
Sir  Archy.     The  dam  of  Tom  Rolfe  was  the  famous 
pacer  Pocahontas,  that  lowered  the  world's  champion 
record  for  pacers  to  2.171-2,  in  a  race  in  1855,  and 
pulled  a  wagon  at  that.      Pocahontas  was  by  Iron's 
Cadmus,  the  sire  of  Blanco  mentioned  above.    Her 
dam    was    by    Probasco's    Big    Shakespeare,    he    by 
Stoughtenborough's  Shakespeare,  a  running  bred  son 
of  Valerius  by  imported  Badger.      Pocahontas'  second 
dam  was  by  James  Badger,  also  known  as  Probasco's 
Badger.     He  was  another  son  of  Valerius  by  imported 
Badger,  making  the  dam  of  Pocahontas  closely  inbred 
to  Valerius,  a  running  bred  son  of  imported  Badger. 
It  will  be  seen   from   this  that  the  famous   mare 
Pocahontas    (2.171-2),  dam  of  Tom  Rolfe,  was  bred 
largely  from  running  stock  on  both  sides.     The  dam 
of  Pugh's  Aratus,  sire  of  Tom  Rolfe,  was  by  Wallace's 
Saxe  Weimer,  a  son  of  the  thoroughbred  Saxe  Weimer, 
by  Sir  Archy ;  by  which  it  appears  that  the  sire  of  Tom 
Rolfe  was  inbred  to  Sir  Archy,  the  best  son  of  imported 
Biomed.     Iron's    Cadmus,    the    sire    of    Pocahontas 
(2.171-2),    was    also    inbred    to    imported    Diomed. 
Pocahontas    (2.171-2)    is    in    the   great   brood   mare 
list.     She     was    the     dam    of     the    trotter     Young 
Pocahontas    (2.26  3-4).     Two    of  her  sons,    viz.,  Tom 
Rolfe  (2.33  1-2)  and  Strideaway,  were  sires  of  standard 
speed,  and  her  daughters  produced  the  trotters  Nancy 
(2.231-2)   and  May  Morning   (2.30). 

2«0 


TROTTING   FAMILIES   FROM    PACERS. 

Tom  Rolfe  took  a  trotting  record  of  2.331-2.  He 
was  the  sire  of  four  trotters  with  records  from  2.12  1-4 
to  2.25  and  three  pacers  with  records  from  2.12  1-4 
to  2.23.  The  most  noted  of  his  get  was  the  famous 
pacer  Sleepy  Tom  (2.121-4),  that,  though  blind,  beat 
all  the  best  pacers  of  his  day,  and  during  the  season 
of  1879  won  fourteen  races.  Three  of  the  sons  of 
Tom  Rolfe  were  sires  of  standard  speed,  viz.,  Pocahon- 
tas Boy,  Rolfe  Duke  and  Young  Rolfe  (2.21 1-4).  The 
latter  died  when  but  eight  years  old.  Could  he  have 
lived  till  twenty-five  years  old  he  would  probably  have 
taken  a  much  faster  record  than  2.21 1-4  and  proved  a 
very  successful  sire  of  uniform  trotting  speed. 

Young  Rolfe.  Young  Rolfe  was  the  sire  of  nine 
with  standard  records,  all  trotters,  the  fastest  of  which 
is  Nelson  (2.09),  that  lowered  the  world's  champion 
record  for  trotting  stallions  to  2.10,  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.,  September  17,  1891.  This  is  the  fastest  record 
ever  made  by  a  trotting  stallion  to  high  wheels  over 
a  regulation  track.  The  dam  of  Nelson  was  the  great 
brood  mare  Gretchen,  by  Gideon,  a  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  and  his  second  dam  was  Kate,  by  Ver- 
mont Black  Hawk.  Young  Rolfe  got  five  sons  that 
are  the  sires  of  thirty-six  trotters  and  twenty-three 
pacers  with  standard  records.  He  is  also  credited 
with  five  daughters  that  have  produced  seven  trotters 
and  one  pacer  which  have  made  standard  records.  The 
most  successful  of  his  sons  as  a  sire  is  Nelson  (2.09), 
that  is  credited  with  thirty-two  trotters  and  nineteen 
pacers  with  standard  records,  also  with  eleven  sons 
that  have  sired  nine  trotters  and  seven  pacers  which 


Ul 


TEE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

have  taken  records  in  standard  time,  while  hi^  daugh- 
ters have  produced  six  that  have  made  standard 
records. 

Pocahontas  Boy.  The  most  successful  son  of  Tom 
Rolfe  as  a  speed  perpetuator  was  Pocahontas  Boy,  but 
a  large  proportion  of  his  get  were  pacers,  and  nearly 
all  the  standard  performers  got  by  his  sons  made  their 
records  at  the  pacing  gait.  The  dam  of  Pocahontas 
Boy  was  by  Jerry,  a  son  of  Shropshire's  Tom  Hal. 
The  latter  was  by  Bald  Stockings  (also  known  as  LaiPs 
Tom  Hal),  and  he  by  old  Tom  Hal,  founder  of  the 
noted  Tom  Hal  pacing  family.  Pocahontas  Boy  sired 
seven  trotters  and  fourteen  pacers  that  made  records 
in  standard  time;  eleven  of  his  sons  have  sired  three 
trotters  and  fifty  pacers  with  standard  records,  and 
eighteen  of  his  daughters  have  produced  nine  trotters 
and  eighteen  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records. 

Pocahontas  Sam.  The  most  successful  son  of  Po- 
cahontas Boy  as  a  sire  was  Pocahontas  Sam.  If 
there  ever  was  a  pacing-bred  stallion  that  should  get 
trotting  speed  with  uniformity  it  is  this  Pocahontas 
8am,  for  his  dam  was  Fanny,  the  daughter  of  Wilson's 
Blue  Bull  that  produced  Lowland  Girl  (2.191-2). 
The  blood  of  the  champion  old  pacer  Pocahontas 
(2.17  1-2)  is  united  with  that  of  the  renowned  Tom 
Hal  and  the  famous  Wilson's  Blue  Bull  in  Pocahontas 
Sam.  He  is  credited  with  eighteen  standard  perform- 
ers, all  pacers.  Five  of  his  sons  have  sired  seven 
pacers  that  have  made  standard  records.  Three  of 
his  daughters  have  produced  two  trotters  and  two 
pacers  that  have  made  standard  records. 


242 


Chapter  IX. 
TWO  PACING  FAMILIES. 


Narragansett  Pacers. — The  Hal  Family. — Kittrell's  Tom  Hal.. 
Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr. — Brown  Hal  (2.12  1-2). 

Pacers  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States 
where  trotters  are  bred.  They  appear  unexpectedly 
and  sometimes  without  any  apparent  excuse,  among 
and  from  animals  bred  in  orthodox  trotting  lines,  often 
greatly  to  the  disgust  of  their  breeders.  Some  have 
attempted  to  account  for  this  on  the  theory  that  the 
trotting  and  pacing  gaits  are  practically  the  same  and 
are  interchangeable.  Others  who  have  studied  the 
subject  carefully  and  whose  opinions  are  entitled  to 
great  weight,  believe  that  the  pacing  gait  is  due  to 
"incongruity  of  conformation,"  produced  by  the  unit- 
ing of  blood  elements  that  are  dissimilar,  and  this,  all 
things  considered,  appears  the  more  reasonable  of  the 
two. 

So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  there  have 
never  been  but  two  families  of  pacers  on  this  conti- 
nent that  can  justly  be  called  families,  and  but  a  very 
small  proportion  of  the  pacers  now  found  in  thia 
country  can  claim  relationship  with  either  of  those 


243 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

families.  Most  of  the  modern  ones  are  what  maj  be 
properly  termed  sporadic. 

Narragansett  Pacers.  Many  years  ago  there  was 
a  family  of  horses  in  New  England  known  as  Narra- 
gansett  pacers.  They  were  excellent  saddle  animals 
and  admirably  adapted  to  the  use  of  pioneers  of  the 
country  when  roads  were  rough  and  not  adapted  to 
the  use  of  carriages.  There  are  conflicting  statements 
in  regard  to  the  origin  of  the  Narragansett  pacers. 
They  were  small  animals  as  compared  with  the  horses 
of  the  present  day,  and  black  appears  to  have  been  the 
prevailing  color  among  them.  They  were  quite  numer- 
ous in  the  vicinity  of  Narragansett  Bay  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago,  and  many  of  them  were  undoubt- 
edly fast  for  the  early  day  in  which  they  flourished; 
but  as  the  family  has  long  been  extinct  and  especially 
as  no  trotter  of  note  that  has  ever  lived  and  no  pacer 
with  a  fast  track  record  ever  traced,  through  either  sire 
or  dam,  to  a  member  of  this  at  one  time  most  numerous 
of  all  families  of  pacers,  the  origin  of  the  Narragan- 
sett pacer  can  not  be  of  the  slightest  interest  to  prac- 
tical breeders  of  the  present  day. 

The  Hal  Family.  The  only  family  of  pacers  now 
in  existence  is  that  known  as  the  Hals,  and  are  descend- 
ants of  a  horse  known  as  KittrelFs  Tom  Hal,  believed 
to  be  a  descendant  of  a  horse  called  Tom  Hal,  whose 
origin  has  never  been  clearly  established.  He  wslb 
bought  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  by  a  Dr.  Boswell  and 
taken  by  him  to  Kentucky  some  time  in  the  twenties. 
It  was  claimed  that  he  originated  in  Canada.  He 
was  a  roan  in  color,  not  far  from  fifteen  hands  high, 


244 


TWO    PACING   FAMILIES. 

and  is  described  as  a  smoothly-gaited  pacer  with  con- 
siderable speed.  He  was  kept  for  stock  purposes  in 
Kentucky  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  died 
in  that  State  the  property  of  a  Mr.  Benjamin  N. 
Shropshire.  Among  his  get  was  the  chestnut,  blaze- 
faced,  white-legged  stallion  Bald  Stockings,  also  known 
as  LaiPs  Tom  Hal. 

Kittrbll's  Tom  Hal.  The  Hals  that  have  attained 
greatest  fame  originated  in  the  State  of  Tennessee. 
About  1850  Major  M.  B.  Kittrell  bought  in  Kentucky 
a  bay  pacing  stallion  called  Tom  Hal  and  took  him  to 
Tennessee.  This  horse  is  now  known  as  KittrelPs 
Tom  Hal.  The  late  Judge  Halsey  of  Kentucky,  who 
for  several  of  the  last  years  of  his  life  was  a  regular 
weekly  contributor  to  the  American  Horse  Breeder, 
investigated  the  breeding  and  origin  of  KittrelPs  Tom 
Hal,  and  from  the  facts  that  he  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing from  trustworthy  sources,  became  satisfied  that 
the  sire  of  KittrelPs  Tom  Hal  was  Bald  Stockings 
(LaiPs  Tom  Hal). 

GiBSON^s  Tom  Hal,  Jr.  This  Kittrell's  Tom  Hal 
never  sired  a  standard  performer,  but  from  Julia  John- 
son, by  Adam's  Stump  (sire  of  the  dam  of  the  game 
trotting  stallion  Bonesetter,  that  took  a  record  of  2.19 
back  in  1879),  he  got  Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  by  far 
the  most  successful  sire  and  perpetuator  of  uniform 
pacing  speed  that  had  ever  lived  up  to  his  time. 
Adam's  Stump  was  by  a  running  horse  called  Stump- 
the-Dealer.  And  that  successful  breeder  of  speed,  Mr. 
Campbell  Brown  of  Spring  Hill,  Tenn.,  states  that  this 
Stump-the-Dealer,  which  got  Adam's  Stump,  was  a 
thoroughbred  son  of  Timoleon,  and  he  the  son  of  Sir 


245 


THE   AMERICAN   TROTTER. 

Apchy,  that  got  the  noted  long-distance  race  winner 
Boston. 

Well  informed  Tennessee  horsemen  have  stated  that 
the  dam  of  Stump-the-Dealer  was  by  Potomac,  a  thor- 
oughbred son  of  imported  Diomed.  We  have  never 
been  able  to  find  any  thoroughbred  son  of  Timoleon 
registered  under  the  name  of  Stump-the-Dealer;  but 
this  need  not  create  a  doubt  in  regard  to  the  exist- 
ence of  a  thoroughbred  horse  of  that  name  and  breed- 
ing, as  there  were  many  horses  eligible  to  registry  as 
thoroughbreds  that  were  not  registered,  through 
neglect  of  their  owners  or  the  owners  of  their  dams. 
There  are  several  horses  registered  under  the  name  of 
Stump-the-Dealer.  One  of  them,  that  in  1819  was 
owned  in  Virginia,  was  by  Sir  Archy ;  dam  by  imported 
Diomed,  second  dam  Rosetta  by  imported  Sentinel. 
The  latter  was  by  Blank,  a  noted  son  of  the  renowned 
Godolphin  Arabian,  and  his  dam  was  by  Cade,  another 
of  Godolphin  Arabian's  sons. 

Tl^e  second  dam  of  Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  was  by 
Cummings'  Whip,  a  descendant  of  the  thoroughbred 
Whip.  It  has  been  stated,  upon  apparently  good 
authority,  that  the  dam  of  KittrelPs  Tom  Hal  was  by 
Dare  Devil,  a  thoroughbred  descendant  of  imported 
Dare  Devil ;  and  his  second  dam  the  Luzborough  mare 
by  imported  Luzborough.  The  dam  of  Bald  Stockings, 
sire  of  KittrelPs  Tom  Hal,  was  by  Ohinn's  Cop- 
perbottom,  and  his  second  dam  was  by  Tarquin, 
said  to  be  a  son  of  imported  Diomed.  Chinn's 
Oopperbottom  was  got  by  Fenwick's  Copperbottom,  a 
son  of  Brutus.  This  Brutus  was  by  the  old  Canadian 
pacer  Jowett's   Copperbottom,   and   his   dam   was  by 


246 


TWO    PACING   FAMILIES, 

the  thoroughbred  Robin  Grey,  a  son  of  imported  Roy- 
alist. The  dam  of  Fenwick^s  Copperbottom  (sire  of 
Chinn's  Copperbottom)  was  by  Pitt's  Ball,  a  son  of 
imported  Royalist,  and  his  second  dam  was  by  Meade's 
Celer,  the  best  son  of  imported  Janus.  It  appears 
from  this  that  while  Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  had  two 
pacing  crosses  (one  through  old  Tom  Hal  that  never 
got  a  performer  with  a  fast  record,  and  another 
through  Copperbottom),  he  was  much  more  strongly 
bred  in  running  than  in  pacing  lines. 

Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  was  really  the  founder  of 
the  Hal  family.  Nearly  all  of  the  fast  performers  of 
that  family  are  found  among  his  descendants.  He  is 
credited  with  sixteen  pacers  that  have  made  records 
in  standard  time,  the  fastest  of  which  is  that  game 
campaigner  Hal  Pointer  (2.04  1-2)  that  Trainer  E.  F. 
Geers  raced  so  successfully  several  years  ago.  The 
first  of  the  get  of  Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  to  gain  a 
national  reputation  for  speed  and  stamina  was  Little 
Brown  Jug  that  became  the  world's  champion  light 
harness  race  winner  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  August  24, 
1881,  where  he  beat  Mattie  Hunter  and  Lucy  in 
straight  heats,  time  2.11  3-4,  2.11  3-4,  2.12  1-2. 

The  dam  of  Little  Brown  Jug  was  Lizzie.  Her  sire 
was  John  Netherland  by  Taylor's  Henry  Hal,  a  son 
of  Kittrell's  Tom  Hal.  The  dam  of  Lizzie  was  Blackie, 
by  John  Hal,  a  misleading  name,  as  he  did  not  have  a 
drop  of  Hal  blood  in  his  veins.  John  Hal  was  by 
Smith's  John  Eaton  and  he  by  the  running-bred  John 
Eaton,  whose  sire  was  Virginian,  a  thoroughbred  son 
of  Sir  Archy.  The  dam  of  John  Hal  was  Melinda  by 
Whale,  probably    a    son    of    imported  Whale.      The 


247 


THE  America:^  trotter. 

second  dam  of  Little  Brown  Jug  was  Old  March  by 
Young  Conqueror,  a  son  of  Lafayette.  The  latter  is 
registered  in  Bruce^s  American  Stud  Book.  His  sire 
was  Virginian,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy,  and  his  dam  was  a 
daughter  of  Sir  Archy,  the  horse  that  the  late  John  H. 
Wallace  once  pronounced  "the  Godolphin  Arabian  of 
America." 

Brown  Hal  (2.121-2).  Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr.,  is 
credited  with  twelve  sons  that  have  sired  standard 
pacing  speed.  The  most  successful  of  these  is  Brown 
Hal  (2.121-2),  and  he  was  a  full  brother  of  Little 
Brown  Jug  (2.113-4).  His  dam  was  Lizzie,  whose 
breeding  is  given  above.  Brown  Hal  is  the  sire  of 
sixty -one  that  have  made  standard  records,  all  pacers, 
and  the  records  of  eleven  of  them  are  from  1.59  1-4  to 
2.10.  His  fastest,  Star  Pointer,  was  the  first  light 
harness  horse  to  cross  the  two-minute  line.  The  dam 
of  Star  Pointer  (1.591-4)  was  the  great  brood  mare 
Sweepstakes,  that  also  produced  the  game  campaigner 
Hal  Pointer  (2.041-2),  and  two  others  with  standard 
records.  Hal  Pointer  (2.04  1-2)  was  by  Cribson's  Tom 
Hal,  Jr.,  the  paternal  grandsire  of  Star  Pointer 
(1.591-4). 

Sweepstakes  was  a  direct  descendant  of  KittrelPs 
Tom  Hal,  on  her  sire's  side.  She  was  by  Knight's 
Snow  Heels,  and  he  by  Knight's  Tom  Hal,  a  son  of 
Kittrell's  Tom  Hal.  The  breeding  of  the  dam  of 
Knight's  Tom  Hal  is  not  known,  but  it  has  been  stated 
upon  good  authority  that  the  dam  of  Knight's  Snow 
Heels  was  by  Buckett's  Glencoe,  a  son  of  imported 
Glencoe.    The  second  dam  of  Star  Pointer  was  Kit  by 


248 


1^ 


^'   f 


TWO    PACING    FAMILIES. 

McMeen's  Traveler,  a  son  of  the  thoroughbred  Stump- 
the-Dealer.  that  got  Adam's  Stump,  sire  of  the  dam  of 
Gibson's  Tom  Hal,  Jr. 

Brown  Hal  (2.12  1-2)  is  credited  with  fourteen  sons 
that  up  to  the  close  of  1903  had  sired  seventy-two 
pacers  and  one  trotter  with  standard  records.  The 
son  that  had  sired  the  greatest  number  is  Hal  Dillard 
(2.04  3-4),  that  was  then  credited  with  twenty-seven 
pacers  and  one  trotter  that  had  made  records  in  stand- 
ard time,  including  Fanny  Dillard  (2.03  3-4).  Star 
Pointer  (1.59  1-4)  comes  next  in  rank  as  a  sire,  with 
eleven  to  his  credit,  all  pacers,  the  fastest  of  which 
is  Mornmg  Star  (2.04  3-4),  the  largest  money -winning 
pacer  out  in  1904.  Sidney  Pointer  (2.07  1-4),  a  son  of 
Star  Pointer  (1.591-4),  is  the  sire  of  Angus  Pointer 
(2.041-2),  that  ranks  fourth  among  the  greatest 
money-winning  pacers  of  the  season  of  1904. 

The  Hal  family  of  pacers  is  a  wonderful  one  for 
producing  fast  game  race  winners,  that  train  on  and 
breed  on.  It  is  the  only  family  of  pacers  now  in  ex- 
istence, and  bids  fair  to  survive  as  long  as  high-class 
pacing  races  are  popular.  It  is  a  singular  fact,  how- 
ever, that  the  world's  champion  pacing  records  are  all 
held  by  pacers  that  were  trotting-bred.  The  stallion 
Dan  Patch,  that  holds  the  world's  champion  pacing 
record  for  aged  animals,  1.56,  is  inbred  to  the  Hamble- 
tonian  strain  through  George  Wilkes  (2.22),  also  in- 
herits a  Mambrino  Chief  strain  through  Mambrino 
Patchen,  and  a  Vermont  Black  Hawk  strain  through 
Joe  Young  (2.18),  that  got  the  dam  of  Joe  Patchen 
(2.01 1-4),  sire  of  Dan  Patch  (1.56). 

24^ 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

The  world's  champion  four-year-old  pacing  record — 
2.04 — stands  to  the  credit  of  Online^  and  his  sire  was 
the  trotter  Shadeland   Onward    (2.181-2),   a  son   of 
Onward    (2.251-4)    by    George    Wilkes    (2.22).     The 
world's     three-year-old     champion     pacing     record — 
2.05  1-2 — wa^  made  in  1898  by  Klatawah,  whose  sire 
was  the  trotter  Steinway    (3)    (2.25  3-4),  and  whose 
dam    was    Katie    G.,    by   Electioneer.    The    world's 
champion  two-year-old  pacing  record  is  2.07  3-4,  and 
was   made  in   1894  by  Directly,  whose  sire,   Direct 
(2.051-2),  was  by  the  trotter  Director    (2.17),   and 
whose  dam  was  by  the  standard-bred  trotter  Naubuc, 
a  full  brother  of  the  trotting  stallion  Thomas  JeflPerson 
(2.23).     The  world's  champion  pacing  record  for  year 
lings  is  2.20  3-4,  made  in  1892  by  Belle  Acton,  a  filly 
got  by  the  trotter  Shadeland  Onward   (2.181-2),  the 
same  son  of  Onward   (2.25 1-4)   that  got  Online   (4) 
(2.04).    The  dam  of  Shadeland  Onward,  sire  of  these 
two  world's  champion  pacing  record  bi"^akers,  was  by 
Mambrino  Time,   a  son   of  Mambrino   Patchen;   and 
his  second  dam  was  Cap,  by  Ward's  Flying  Cloud,  a 
son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.     The  yearling  colt  PauC 
D.  Kelly,  that    equalled    the  record  of  Belle  Acton 
(2.20  3-4)  the  past  season,  is  also  trotting-bred  on  both 
sides.    His   sire,   Armont,   was  by  Belmont,   son  of 
Alexander's  Abdallah,  and  his  dam,  Arabell,  was  by 
AriBtos  (2.27  3-4),  son  of  Daniel  Lambert.    The  dam 
of  Paul  D.  Kelly  was  by  Edmond,  a  son  of  Spragtie 
Suberb   (2.29  1-4)  ;  second  dam  by  Haroldson,  son  of 
Harold,  and  third  dam   the  great  brood   mare  Olive 
by  Daniel  Lambert. 

250 


TWO    PACING   FAMILIES. 

During  the  pa^t  twenty-five  yeara  certain  turf  writ- 
ei*s  have  claimed  that  the  American  trotter  was 
indebted  more  largely  to  the  pacer  for  his  speed  than 
to  any  other  source.  Years  ago  it  was  claimed  that 
the  Narragansett  pacer  originated  before  the  galloper, 
that  is,  the  running  race  horse.  The  earliest  date  of 
the  existence  of  the  Narragansett  pacer,  according  to 
the  author  of  that  statement,  was  1711.  Historians 
state  that  the  Olympic  Games  were  established  in 
Greece  1450  years  before  the  Christian  era.  On  the 
second  day  of  these  games  horse  racing  was  a  feature 
of  the  sports,  and  among  the  regular  exercises  on  the 
fourth  day  were  the  chariot  and  horse  races.  The 
horses  that  took  part  in  these  contests  were  runners. 
From  this  it  appears  that  there  had  been  gallopers  in 
existence  that  were  used  for  racing  purposes  at  least 
twenty-five  hundred  years  before  the  Narragansiett 
pacer  was  known.  It  is  a  matter  of  history  that  horse 
racing  at  the  running  gait  was  one  of  the  sports  in 
England  at  least  six  hundred  year*s  before  the  Narra- 
gansett pacer  first  appeared. 


251 


Chapti»  X. 
THOROUGHBRED   AND   PAGING    CROSSES 


Their  Relative  Value  as  Factors  in  Trotting  Speed. — ^Notable 
Examples. 

When  the  theorv  wajs  first  advanced  that  the  pacing 
cross  was  the  most  potent  factor  of  trotting  speed,  the 
writer  was  greatly  interested  in  the  subject  and  studied 
it  quite  carefully  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  bottom 
facts.  As  the  Narragansett  pacers  were  very  numer- 
ous in  this  country  at  least  fifty  years  before  any 
trotter  of  note  appeared,  one  would  naturally  expect 
to  find  that  cross  in  the  most  famous  of  the  early 
American  trotters,  provided  that  the  trotter  was  really 
the  offspring  of  the  pacer.  Among  the  most  famous 
of  the  first  trotters  of  note  produced  in  this  country 
were  Top  Gallant,  Whalebone.  Dutchman,  Screwdriver 
and  Lady  Suffolk.  A  careful  analysis  of  the  blood 
lines  of  all  of  these  noted  old-time  trotters  failed  to 
disclose  a  single  cross  of  the  Narragansett  pacer  in 
any  of  them.  It  showed,  however,  that  every  one  of 
the  five  were  by  sires  and  from  dams  both  of  which 
were   direct   descendants   of  the   running   race   horse 


262 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

imported  Messenger,  and  also  that  there  were  otiier 
running  crosses  besides  imported  Messenger  close  up 
in  their  pedigrees,  but  no  pacing  crosses,  either  Narra- 
gansett  or  any  other.  Following  down  through  the 
list  of  world's  trotting  record  breakers  from  Lady 
Suffolk  no  Narragansett  pacing  cross  can  be  found  in 
the  pedigrees  of  any  of  them,  and  no  pacing  cross 
whatever  until  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10)  and  Maud  S. 
(2.08  3-4)  are  reached,  when  a  cross  of  the  Canadian 
pacer  old  Pilot  appears,  through  his  son,  Pilot,  Jr., 
in  the  first  dam  of  each.  The  dam  of  Pilot,  Jr.,  was 
by  Funk's  Havoc,  a  running-bred  son  of  Sir  Charles 
by  Sir  Archy.  The  second  dam  of  Jay-Eye-See  was  a 
thoroughbred  daughter  of  Lexington,  a  son  of  Boston 
and  a  four-mile  running  record  breaker.  The  second 
dam  of  Maud  S.  was  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  Bos- 
ton, and  Boston  won  a  greater  number  of  four-mile 
heat  races  than  any  other  horse  of  his  day. 

Taking  all  these  facts  into  consideration,  it  looked 
quite  as  reasonable  to  an  unprejudiced  student  of  the 
breeding  problem  that  the  unusual  speed  ability 
shown  by  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10)  and  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4) 
might  have  been  inherited  from  those  record-breaking 
runners  as  that  it  came  from  the  Canadian  pacer  old 
Pilot.  Knowing  that  several  pacers  had  originated 
in  Canada,  the  idea  was  suggested  that  if  pacers  were 
the  origin  of  trotting  speed  the  pedigrees  of  the  fastest 
trotters  raised  in  Canada  must  show  a  near  pacing 
cross  of  some  kind.  The  two  fastest  Canadian  bred 
trotters  at  that  time  were  Phyllis  (2.15  1-2)  and  Moose 
(2.191-2).  Phyllis  <  2.15 1-2)  was  by  Phil  Sheridan 
/ 2.26  1-2),  a  son  of  Young  Columbus  (2.35  1-4),  he  by 


253 


THE    AMERICA!^    TROTTER. 

Old  Colmnbus,  a  horse  of  unknown  breeding,  that  was 
a  natural  paeer.  The  dam  of  Phyllis  was  by  Tom 
Sayers,  a  son  of  Canada  Grey  Eagle,  said  to  be  a  de- 
scendant of  old  Winthrop  Messenger;  and  her  second 
dam,  Grey  Nell,  wa;s,  according  to  good  authority. 
from  running  stock  on  both  sides.  Here  is  a  running 
cross  close  up,  but  no  pacing  cross  neai*er  than  Old 
Columbus.  Moose  (2.19 1-2)  was  by  the  Washburn 
Horse,  an  animal  of  unknown  breeding,  that  got  no 
trotter  except  this  solitary  Moose  (2.19  1-2).  The  dam 
of  Moose  was  by  the  thoroughbred  imported  Trustee 

These  investigations  forced  upon  the  writer's  mind 
the  conclusion  that  the  pacing  cross  was  of  little,  if 
any,  value  as  a  factor  of  trotting  speed,  unless  there 
was  a  thoroughbred  cross  close  to  the  pacing  cross. 
A  few  years  later  Sunol  reduced  the  world's  champion 
trotting  record  to  2.08  1-4.  Her  sire  was  Electioneei 
by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  Her  dam  was  by  the  trot- 
ter Gen.  Benton,  and  her  second  dam.  Waxy,  was  a 
thoroughbred  daughter  of  Lexington,  sire  of  the  second 
dam  of  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10).  The  search  for  a  pacing 
cross  in  the  dam  of  Sunol  (2.08  1-4)  was  fruitless,  and 
the  logical  conclusion  was  that  as  a  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian  could  get  a  world's  record  breaker  from 
a  mare  that  had  no  pacing  inheritance,  but  whose  dam 
was  by  a  successful  race  winning  thoroughbred,  the 
pacing  cross  as  a  speed  factor  had  been  greatly  over- 
rated by  some  writers. 

The  same  season  that  Sunol  reduced  the  world's 
champion  trotting  record  to  2.081-4,  Palo  Alto,  by 
Electioneer,  reduced  the  world's  champion  record  for 
trotting  stallions  to  2.08  3-4.     An  investigation  of  his 


254 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

pedigree  showed  that  his  dam,  Dame  Winnie,  was  a 
thoroughbred  daughter  of  Planet.  Further  investiga- 
tion showed  that  Planet  was  one  of  the  most  successful 
race  winners  of  his  day.  He  was  raced  for  several  sea- 
sons, won  in  all  fifty -seven  races,  if  we  remember 
correctly,  and  when  retired  from  the  turf  was  per- 
fectly sound  and  without  blemish.  His  sire  was 
Revenue  and  his  dam  was  Nina  by  Boston ;  second  dam 
imported  Frolicsome  Fanny  by  Lottery.  Revenue  was 
by  imported  Trustee.  His  dam  was  Rosalie  Somers  by 
Sir  Charles,  son  of  Sir  Archy;  second  dam  by  Vir- 
ginian, by  Sir  Archy ;  third  dam  by  imported  Bedford ; 
fourth  dam  by  imported  Bellair,  and  so  on  to  the  tenth 
dam,  which  was  the  imported  mare  Miss  Bell.  The 
result  of  these  investigations  was  the  conclusion  that 
extreme  record  breaking  trotting  speed  was  due  to 
some  quality  inherited  from  successful  race  winning 
thoroughbreds. 

It  is  also  a  significant  fact,  as  those  who  have  inves- 
tigated the  matter  carefully  well  know,  that  the  pedi- 
grees of  the  fastest  pacers  show  numerous  thorough- 
bred crosses.  After  Star  Pointer  accomplished  the 
wonderful  feat  at  Readville  of  lowering  the  world's 
champion  pacing  record  to  1.59  1-4,  the  interesting  and 
impartial  writer  Trotwood,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  first  Tom  Hals 
which  appeared  in  Tennessee  were  lacking  in  speed 
and  it  was  not  till  after  the  family  had  absorbed  the 
warm  blood  of  the  Tennessee  race  horses  that  they 
became  distinguished  as  race  winners.  Trotwood  also 
stated  that  the  pedigree  of  Star  Pointer  showed  not 
less  than  six  crosses  of  the  old  Derby  winner  Diomed, 


255 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

the  greatest  progenitor  of  race  winning  record  break- 
ing runners  that  was  ever  brought  to  America.  If  he 
had  pursued  his  investigations  farther  he  would  have 
found  at  least  ten  crosses  of  old  Diomed  in  8ta/r 
Pointer,  not  counting  the  Tarquin  cross  in  Ohinn^s 
Copperbottom,  sire  of  the  dam  of  Bald  Stockings. 

The  thoroughbred  race  horse  is  the  descendant  of 
ancestors  which  have  been  bred  for  centuries  for  speed 
and  other  race  winning  qualities.  He  has  been  bred 
with  great  care  and  the  natural  result  is  a  family  of 
animals  the  best  of  which  possess  the  important  race 
innning  qualities  in  a  higher  degree  than  can  be  found 
in  any  other  breed  or  family  of  horses.  This  accounts 
for  the  improvement  in  speed  and  other  necessary  race 
winning  qualities  which  has  resulted  from  a  thorough- 
bred cross  in  both  the  American  trotter  and  pacer. 

The  Pacing  Cross.  If  the  pacing  cross  be  so  potent 
a  factor  of  trotting  speed  as  some  tnrf  writers  have 
claimed  during  the  past  twenty-live  years,  then  the 
surest  way  to  breed  uniform  and  extreme  trotting 
speed  is  to  breed  from  pacers.  But  if  this  be  so  why 
is  it  that  some  of  the  world^s  record-breaking  trotters 
have  not  come  from  the  Hal  family  of  pacers?  It  has 
been  stated  upon  apparently  good  authority  that  old 
Tom  Hal  was  taken  to  Kentucky  as  early  as  1828 ;  but 
the  early  trotters  of  Kentucky  do  not  show  a  Hal  cross 
in  their  pedigrees.  The  same  is  true  of  all  the  really 
noted  Kentucky  bred  trotting  sires,  from  Almont  to 
McKinney  (2.111-4).  It  is  also  true  of  all  the  great 
brood  mares  bred  in  Kentucky  that  were  famous  as 
producers  of  trotters.     Bome  of  the  ancestors  of  a  part 

256 


I 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

of  them  paced,  it  is  true,  but  they  were  not  the  de- 
scendants of  old  Tom  Hal,  or  of  any  other  family  of 
pacers.  The  only  Hal  stallion  that  has  sired  a  trotter 
with  a  record  so  fast  as  2.11  is  Hal  Dillard  (2.04  3-4), 
and  the  only  trotter  which  he  has  ever  sired  that  has 
taken  a  record  in  standai'd  time  U  Hallie  Rocket 
(2.11).  The  dam  of  Hallie  Rocket  was  by  Kilbuck 
Tom,  and  her  second  dam  was  by  Wilson's  Blue  Bull. 

Kilbuck  Tom  made  a  record  of  2.31  trotting  and  2.26 
pacing.  The  sire  of  Kilbuck  Tom  was  White  Cloud. 
He  was  by  a  horse  that  was  called  Dan  Rice  and 
claimed  to  be  thoroughbred.  The  dam  of  White  Cloud 
is  given  as  a  Canadian  pacer,  but  nothing  is  known 
of  her  origin  and  breeding.  The  dam  of  Kilbuck  Tom 
was  a  beautiful  chestnut  mare  that  came  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  it  was  claimed  that  she  was  by  the  famous 
race  horse  Lexington.  She  ran  several  races  and  was 
never  beaten.  Her  spirit  and  bottom  were  remarkable. 
This  Kilbuck  Tom  got  the  spotted  mare  Leopard  Rose 
that  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.15  1-4  in  1890.  The  dam 
of  Leopard  Rose  was  by  Gurney,  a  son  of  Wood^s 
Hambletonian.  Two  of  the  maternal  ancestors  of  the 
trotter  Hallie  Rocket  (2.11)  paced.  Hallie  was  a  good 
mare,  but  she  was  far  from  being  a  record-breaker. 
Yet  she  is  the  fastest  trotter  in  the  Hal  family.  The 
only  other  trotter  that  we  can  now  recall  that  was  got 
by  a  Hal  stallion  is  Little  Gipsy  (2.22),  whose  sire  was 
Gray's  Tom  Hal. 

The  success  of  this  greatest  of  all  pacing  families 
in  producing  extreme  and  uniform  trotting  speed  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  sufficient  to  support  the  claim 
made  by  the  late  J.  H.  Wallace,  one  of  the  foremost 


257 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

writers  on  trotting  horse  topics,  that  the  pacing  cross, 
is  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  of  trotting  speed. 
Careful  study  of  the  Year  Book  and  Register  does  not 
appear  to  disclose  facts  which  to  an  impartial  mind 
lead  to  such  a  conclusion,  or  support  such  an  opinion. 
It  is  a  fact  which  all  students  of  the  breeding  problem 
must  have  observed,  that  those  writers  who  give  tlie 
pacing  cross  the  highest  praise  as  a  factor  of  trotting 
speed,  emphatically  denounce  a  near  thoroughbred 
cross  in  a  trotting  pedigree.  Their  arg-ument  is  that 
a  thoroughbred  race  horse  was  bred  to  run  and  hence 
a  thoroughbred  cross  must  be  detrimental  to  a  trotter. 
Mambrino  Chief,  founder  of  the  Mambrino  Chief 
trotting  family,  was  bred  in  the  State  of  New  York 
and  was  foaled  in  1844.  He  was  kept  in  that  State 
until  the  winter  of  1854,  when  he  was  taken  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  remained  until  he  died  in  March, 
1862.  He  was  used  for  stock  purposes  in  New  York, 
beginning,  without  doubt,  in  his  three-year-old  form. 
This  would  give  him  seven  seasons  of  service  in  New 
York  State,  the  first  two  of  which  were  probably 
limited  to  but  few  patrons,  but  beginning  with  his 
five-year-old  form  he  was  capable  of  doing  full  service, 
which  would  give  him  five  full  seasons  in  the  North. 
Not  one  of  those  animals  that  Mambrino  Chief  got 
in  the  North  ever  made  a  record  in  standard  time. 

The  fastest  trotter  that  Mambrino  Chief  ever  got 
was  the  famous  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  and  his  most 
successful  son  as  a  progenitor  of  speed  was  Hen's 
Mambrino  Patchen,  a  full  brother  of  Lady  Thorn.  The 
dam  of  these  two  noted  animals  was  known  as  the 
Rodes  Mare.     Her  sire  was  Gano  and  her  dam  was  a 


258 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

pacer.  Gano  was  quite  a  successful  race  horse  and  a 
fairly  successful  sire  of  running  race  winners.  He  is 
registered  in  Bruce's  American  Stud  Book,  a  register 
for  thoroughbred  animals,  and  the  best  American 
authority.  The  sire  of  Gano  was  American  Eclipse, 
a  famous  long  distance  race  winner,  sired  by  Duroc, 
a  son  of  imported  Diomed,  and  American  Eclipse's 
dam  was  the  successful  running  race  mare  Miller's 
Damsel,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam  of  Gano 
was  Betsey  Ranson,  by  Virginian,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy. 
This  Sir  Archy  was  admitted  to  be  the  greatest  four- 
mile  race  horse  in  the  world  when  he  was  retired 
from  the  turf.  He  was  the  best  son  of  imported 
Diomed,  and  his  success  as  a  sire  of  race  winners  was 
fully  equal  to  his  success  as  a  racer  on  the  turf.  The 
second  dam  of  Lady  Thorn  and  Mambrino  Patchen, 
as  already  stated,  was  a  pacer.  She  is  described  as 
very  blood-like  in  appearance.  Her  sire  is  given  as  a 
son  of  the  thoroughbred  Sir  William  of  Transport, 
and  Sir  William  of  Transport  was  by  Sir  Archy,  his 
dam  being  Transport,  by  Virginius,  a  son  of  imported 
Diomed.  The  third  dam  of  Lady  Thorn  and  Mam- 
brino Patchen  was  also  a  pacer.  She  resembled  a 
thoroughbred  in  appearance,  but  nothing  is  known  of 
her  breeding. 

Those  who  believe  that  a  pacing  cross  is  the  main- 
spring of  trotting  speed  claim  that  the  speed  ability 
of  Lady  Thorn  (2.18  1-4)  and  the  success  of  her  full 
brother,  Mambrino  Patchen,  as  a  progenitor  of  trotters, 
were  due  to  the  fact  that  their  second  dam  was  a  pacer, 
though  it  is  not  known  that  either  her  sire  or  dam 
ever  paced.     The  advocates  of  the  pacing  cros^  no 


259 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

donbt  actually  believe  that  because  the  second  dam  of 
Mambrino  Patchen  paced,  this  distinguished  son  of 
Mambrino  Chief  was  more  largely  indebted  to  her 
for  his  speed  perpetuating  powers  than  to  all  his  other 
maternal  ancestors,  and  perhaps  it  can't  be  proven 
that  he  was  not. 

Those  who  first  advocated  this  doctrine  contended 
that  the  pacing  and  trotting  gaits  are  interchangeable 
and  essentially  the  same.  This  being  the  case,  if  the 
thoroughbred  cross  be  detrimental  to  trotting  speed, 
as  they  claim,  it  follows  that  the  thoroughbred  cros» 
must  also  be  detrimental  to  pacing  speed.  Hence, 
according  to  this  theory,  the  get  of  Mambrino  Chief 
that  were  from  pacing  mares  which  did  not  inherit 
a  thoroughbred  cross  should  be  faster  trotters  than 
Lady  Thorn  (2.18 1-4)  and  more  successful  as  pro- 
genitors of  trotting  speed  than  Mambrino  Patchen. 
Is  this  in  accordance  with  the  facts  found  in  those  in- 
fallible guides,  the  Year  Book  and  Trotting  Register? 
Let  us  examine  them  and  see.  The  second  fastest 
trotter  got  by  Mambrino  Chief  was  Woodford  Mam- 
brino (2.211-2).  The  dam  of  Woodford  Mambrino 
was  the  great  brood  mare  Woodbine,  and  she  also 
produced  that  game  campaigner  Wedgewood  (2.19). 
Woodbine  was  by  the  thoroughbred  Woodford,  whose 
sire  was  Kosciusko,  and  whose  dam  was  Melissa,  by 
Hancock's  Hamiltonian  by  Hamlintonian.  son  of 
imported  Diomed.  Kosciusko  was  a  full  brother  of 
Saxe  Weimer,  to  which  the  great  brood  mare  Dolly, 
by  Mambrino  Chief,  was  inbred-  His  sire  was  Sir 
Archy,  by  imported  Diomed,  and  his  dam  was  Lottery, 
by  imported  Bedford;  second  dam  the  imported  mare 


260 


I 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

Anvelina.  There  were  no  pacers  among  the  ancestors 
of  Woodbine,  and  yet,  with  the  exception  of  Mambrino 
Patchen,  Woodford  Mambrino  (2.21 1-2)  was  the  most 
successful  son  of  Mambrino  Chief  as  a  progenitor  of 
trotting  speed,  and  far  superior  as  a  race  trotter  to 
any  of  the  other  sons  and  daughters  of  Mambrino 
Chief  except  Lady  Thorn  (2.181-4),  whose  dam,  the 
Rodes  mare,  was  largely  thoroughbred  and  also  bred 
in  similar  lines  to  those  found  in  the  dam  of  Woodford 
Mambrino. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  speed  producing 
and  speed  perpetuating  ability  of  those  sons  of  Mam- 
brino Chief  which  were  from  running  bred  mares 
that  had  no  pacing  ancestors,  with  such  of  his  sons 
as  were  from  pacing  mares  that  had  no  near  thorough- 
bred crosses  in  their  pedigrees.  Some  writers  who 
were  looked  upon  as  the  highest  authority  on  the 
breeding  of  trotters  have  gone  so  far  as  to  assert 
positively  and  emphatically  that  the  pacer  or  pacing 
element  is  the  real  source  of  trotting  speed.  The 
same  writers,  as  already  observed,  have  stated  with 
equal  positiveness  and  emphasis  that  any  thoroughbred 
cross  is  detrimental  to  trotting  speed.  This  is  a 
question  of  deep  interest  and  great  importance  to 
breeders  of  trotting  stock.  Now  if  the  claim  of  the 
above  named  writers  be  true,  then  the  progeny  of  any 
sire,  Mambrino  Chief  for  instance,  which  were  from 
pacing  dams,  or  those  from  pacing  ancestors,  with  no 
near  thoroughbred  crosses  in  their  pedigi'ees,  should 
have  proved  much  more  successful  as  fast  trotters  and 
progenitors  of  trotting  speed  than  those  sons  of 
Mambrino  Chief  which  were  from  dams  that  were  not 


2(51 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

pacers,  but  whose  ancestors  on  the  contrary  were 
thoronghbreds,  or  running  stock.  What  are  the  facts  ? 
Any  one  can  learn  for  himself  by  studying  the  Great 
Table  in  the  Year  Book.  As  there  are  some  who  may 
not  have  Year  Books  or  may  not  have  time  to  hunt  up 
the  facts  in  them,  we  will  give  the  facts  as  they  appear 
there. 

The  total  number  of  Mambrino  Chief's  sons  that 
sired  standard  speed  according  to  the  Year  Book  is 
twenty-three.  Five  of  these  twenty-three  were  from 
dams  that  were  either  pacers  themselves,  or  were  bred 
from  pacing  stock,  and  had  no  near  thoroughbred 
crosses  in  their  pedigrees.     They  are  as  follows: 

First: — Alcalde,  whose  dam  was  by  Pilot,  Jr.,  a  son 
of  pacing  Pilot,  and  whose  second  dam  was  a  trotter. 
Alcalde  is  the  sire  of  four  performers  which  have  taken 
records  in  standard  time.  Four  of  his  sons  sired  a 
total  of  thirteen  standard  performers  and  his  daugh- 
ters produced  fifteen  with  standard  records,  making 
the  total  number  to  the  credit  of  Alcalde,  thirty-two. 

Second: — Garrard  Chief,  whose  dam  was  of  pacing 
stock.  Garrard  Chief  is  the  sire  of  one  standard 
performer.  Three  of  his  sons  have  sired  a  total  of 
five  in  the  2.30  list,  and  his  daughters  have  produced 
seventeen  standard  performers,  making  the  total 
twenty-three. 

Third: — Joe  Hooker,  whose  dam  was  by  the  pacer 
Davy  Crockett.  Joe  Hooker  got  two  standard  per- 
formers. None  of  his  sons  ever  sired  a  2.30  trotter 
or  2.25  pacer,  but  his  daughters  produced  four  in  the 
list,  giving  him  a  total  of  six. 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    GROSSES. 

Fourth: — Mambrino  Brave,  whose  dam  wa^  the 
pacer  Lady  Denmark.  Mambrino  Brave  got  one  that 
is  in  the  standard  list,  but  none  of  his  sons  ever  sired 
nor  none  of  his  daughters  ever  produced  a  standard 
performer,  so  his  total  is  one. 

Fifth: — Mambrino  Star.  The  dam  of  Mambrino 
Star  was  Lady  Fairfield,  by  the  pacer  Old  Red  Buck. 
The  number  of  standard  performers  got  by  Mambrino 
Star  is  two.  None  of  his  sons  ever  sired  a  standard 
performer,  and  his  daughters  have  produced  but  eight 
in  the  list,  which  makes  his  number  ten. 

The  above  are  the  only  five  of  Mambrino  Chief's 
sons  which  were  from  strictly  pacing  or  pacing  bred 
dams,  and  the  total  number  of  standard  performers 
got  by  them  and  their  sons  added  to  all  that  were 
produced  by  their  daughters  is  seventy-two. 

There  were  five  sons  of  Mambrino  Chief  that  were 
out  of  running  bred  dams  with  no  pacing  ancestry, 
which  we  will  compare  with  the  above  five  from  pacing 
dams.     They  are  as  follows: 

First: — Ashland.  His  dam  was  Utilla,  a  running 
bred  daughter  of  imported  Margrave.  Ashland  is  the 
sire  of  three  in  the  2.30  list.  His  sons  have  sired  one 
standard  performer,  and  his  daughters  produced  four, 
giving  him  a  total  of  eight. 

Second: — Ashland  Chief,  whose  dam  was  the'^iley 
mare,  a  running  bred  daughter  of  imported  Yorkshire. 
Ashland  Chief  is  the  sire  of  three  in  the  list.  Two  of 
his  sons  have  sired  eight  and  his  daughters  have 
produced  nineteen  standard  performers,  giving  him 
thirty. 

263 


THE    AMERICA:^    TROTTER. 

Third:— Idol  (Peck's).  The  dam  of  Peck's  Idol 
was  a  running  bred  daughter  of  the  great  four  mile 
race  horse  American  Eclipse.  Idol  i:s  the  sire  of  five 
in  the  standard  list.  One  son  has  sired  three  and 
his  daughters  have  produced  fourteen  in  all,  making 
a  total  of  twenty-two. 

Fourth  i! — Mambrino  Chief,  Jr.  (Fisk's).  The  dam 
of  Fisk's  Mambrino  Chief,  Jr.,  was  the  second  dam 
of  Mambrino  King,  and  was  by  Birmingham,  a  son 
of  Stockholder,  by  Sir  Archy.  His  second  dam  was 
by  Bertrand,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy,  and  his  third  dam 
by  Robert  Bruce,  another  descendant  of  Sir  Archy, 
Fisk's  Mambrino  Chief  sired  six  with  standard 
records.  Six  of  his  sons  sired  in  all  twenty-three  in 
the  standard  list,  and  his  daughters  produced  twenty- 
three  standard  performers,  making  in  all  fifty-two. 

Fifth :— Woodford  Mambrino  (2.211-2).  His  dam 
was  Woodbine,  by  the  running  bred  Woodford,  a  son 
of  Kosciusko,  by  Sir  Archy.  Woodford  Mambrino 
sired  thirteen  standard  performers,  all  trotters. 
Twenty-five  of  his  sons  are  credited  with  a  total  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  standard  performers,  and 
his  daughters  have  produced  forty-three,  making  a 
total  of  two  hundred  and  twenty -four. 

The  number  of  standard  performers  got  by  the  five 
sons  of  Mambrino  Chief,  which  were  out  of  pacing  or 
pacing-bred  dams,  together  with  those  sired  by  their 
sons  and  produced  by  their  daughters,  is  seventy-two, 
as  against  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  credited  to 
the  five  sons  from  dams  of  thoroughbred  stock. 


264 


-Pi 


,^ 


■s^- 


I- 


n- 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

It  seems  from  the  above  that  those  five  sons, 
together  with  their  sons  and  daughters  from  running- 
bred  dams,  have  produced  nearly  five  times  as  many 
standard  performers  as  those  from  pacing  dams. 
Were  the  quality  or  capacity  for  a  high  rate  of  speed 
to  be  taken  into  account  it  would  be  found  that  those 
stallions  which  are  from  running-bred  dams  are  as 
far  ahead  of  those  from  the  pacing  dams  in  that 
respect  as  they  are  in  the  number  of  standard 
performers. 

Mambrino  Patchen  was  far  superior  to  any  other 
son  of  Mambrino  Chief  as  a  progenitor  of  trotting 
speed.  He  is  credited  with  twenty-five  that  made 
standard  records,  all  trotters;  also  with  fifty-three 
sons  that  have  sired  one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  with 
standard  records,  and  up  to  the  close  of  1903  with  one 
hundred  and  two  daughters  that  had  produced  one 
hundred  and  fifty-two  that  had  made  records  in  stand- 
ard time.  His  dam,  the  Rodes  mare,  as  already  stated, 
was  by  the  thoroughbred  Gano;  his  second  dam  by  a 
son  of  the  thoroughbred  Sir  William  of  Transport, 
and  his  third  dam  a  mare  of  unknown  ancestry  that 
paced,  but  it  is  not  known  whether  she  was  from 
pacing  ancestors  or  was  one  of  the  many  accidental 
pacers — probably  the  latter. 

Now,  in  the  light  of  the  facts  shown  by  the  above 
comparison  of  the  five  producing  sons  of  Mambrino 
Chief  whose  dams  were  pacers  or  from  pacing  stock, 
with  the  five  sons  which  were  from  dams  that  were 
thoroughbred,  or  from  near  thoroughbred  ancestors 
on  both  sides,  the  question  is,  to  what  was  the  superior- 
itv  of  Mambrino  Patchen  due?     Was  it  to  the  fact 


265 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

that  his  third  dam  paced,  or  was  it  the  result  of  the 
speed  ability,  the  courage,  the  endurance  and  the  in- 
clination to  win  that  he  inherited  from  his  thorough- 
bred ancestors,  which  were  among  the  most  noted  race 
winners  of  their  day,  and  were  descendants  of  the 
best  racing  stock  to  be  found  in  England?  There  are 
the  plain,  unvarnished  facts.  What  is  the  logical 
conclusion  to  be  derived  from  them  by  those  of  un- 
prejudiced minds? 

Let  us  pursue  the  inve^stigation  a  step  farther. 
From  what  sort  of  dams  were  the  sons  of  Mambrino 
Patchen  that  were  most  successful  as  sires  of  speed, 
and  those  of  his  daughters  that  were  most  successful 
as  speed  producers?  What  was  the  character  of  these 
dams  and  how  were  they  bred?  Were  they  pacers? 
Did  their  ancestors  pace,  or  were  they,  too,  from 
mares  bred  in  thoroughbred  lines  and  from  the  best 
of  race- winning  stock? 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  Mambrino  Patchen 
is  credited  with  fifty-three  sons  that  have  sired  one 
hundred  and  ninety-eight  animals  which  have  made 
standard  records,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  of 
them  were  trotters — an  average  of  about  three  trotters 
and  one  pacer  to  each  of  the  fifty-three  sons.  The  son 
of  Mambrino  Patchen  which  stands  out  prominently 
from,  and  towers  far  above  all  others  as  a  progenitor 
of  standard  performers,  is  Mambrino  King.  As  the 
returns  for  1904  are  as  yet  incomplete,  we 
will  take  the  figures  shown  in  the  Year  Book  for  1903. 
Mambrino  King  is  there  credited  with  fifty-three  trot- 
ters and  sixteen  pacers  that  had  made  standard  rec- 
ords.    This  is  a  slight  fraction  more  than  one-third 


266 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

of  the  entire  number  of  standard  performers  credited 
to  the  fifty-three  sons  of  Mambrino  Patchen.  Among 
this  number  are  three  trotters  and  five  pacers  that 
have  made  records  from  2.041-4  to  2.10.  An  investi- 
gation of  the  blood  lines  of  the  dam  of  Mambrino 
King  shows  that  she  was  by  Alexander's  Edwin  For- 
rest, a  horse  inbred  to  Watkins'  Highlander.  The  lat- 
ter was  by  the  imported  English  running-bred  horse, 
Brown  Highlander.  The  second  dam  of  Mambrino 
King  was  by  Birmingham,  a  running-bred  son  of 
Stockholder  by  Sir  Archy ;  third  dam  by  Bertrand,  an- 
other son  of  Sir  Archy ;  fourth  dam  by  Robert  Bruce, 
by  Clinton,  by  Sir  Charles  by  Sir  Archy,  and  fifth  dam 
by  imported  Buzzard.  There  was  none  of  the  pacing 
element  in  the  dam  of  Mambrino  King.  On  the  con- 
trary, she  inherited  a  very  large  share  of  the  same 
kind  of  thoroughbred  blood  that  is  found  in  the  dam 
of  Mambrino  Patchen. 

The  most  successful  of  the  one  hundred  and  two 
daughters  of  Mambrino  Patchen  as  a  producer  of 
trotters  was  the  renowned  Alma  Mater.  Eight  of  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  Alma  Mater  trotted  to  records 
of  2.30  or  better,  and  among  them  were  the  successful 
sires  Alcantara  (2.23),  Alcyone  (2.27)  and  Alfonso 
(2.29  3-4).  One  will  look  in  vain  for  pacers  among 
the  maternal  ancestors  of  Alma  Mater.  Her  dam, 
Estella,  was  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  imported 
Australian.  Her  second  dam  was  Fanny  G.,  by  im- 
ported Margrave,  and  she  was  also  the  second  dam 
of  the  great  brood  mare  Dame  Winnie,  that  produced 
Palo  Alto  (2.08  3-4),  etc.  The  third  dam  of  Alma 
Mater  was  Lancess,  bv  Lance,  son  of  the  renowned 


267 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

American  Eclipse;  fourth  dam,  Aurora  by  Aratus,  a 
son  of  Director  by  Sir  Archy;  fifth  dam,  Paragon  by 
imported  Buzzard,  and  so  on  through  thoroughbreds 
to  her  eighth  dam,  which  was  the  famous  Slammer- 
kin,  whose  sire  was  imported  Wildair,  and  whose 
dam  was  the  noted  Cub  Mare,  imported  from  Eng- 
land. Slammerkin  was  the  third  dam  of  Mambrino, 
sire  of  old  Abdallah. 

Now  let  us  see  how  the  dam  of  that  son  of  Mam- 
brino King  is  bred,  which  has  sired  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  standard  performers.  The  son  of  Mambrino 
King  that  has  proved  the  most  successful  as  a  sire 
of  performers  with  standard  records  is  Elyria 
(2.251-4).  At  the  close  of  1903  Elyria  was  cred- 
ited with  sixty-one  trotters  and  thirteen  pacers 
that  had  taken  standard  records — a  total  of  seventy- 
four.  His  sire,  Mambrino  King,  was  then  credited 
with  fifty-three  trotters  and  sixteen  pacers,  a  total  of 
sixty-nine.  His  list  of  standard  performers  already 
exceeds  that  of  his  sire.  The  dam  of  Elyria  (2.25  1-4) 
was  Maggie  Mitchell.  She  was  got  by  Bradford's 
Telegraph,  a  non-standard  son  of  Vermont  Black 
Hawk,  that  was  owned  and  kept  for  stock  purposes 
by  I.  T.  Bradford,  Augusta,  Ky.,  and  died  his  prop- 
erty in  1876.  It  is  stated  upon  good  authority  that 
the  second  dam  of  Elyria  was  by  a  thoroughbred  called 
Prince  Edward.  There  are  three  thoroughbreds 
registered  in  Bruce's  American  Stud  Book  under  that 
name :  one,  a  chestnut  horse,  foaled  1828,  owned  at  one 
time  in  Georgia  and  sired  by  Muckle  John,  a  ^on  of 
Sir  Archy.  Another  was  a  bay  horse,  foaled  in  1834, 
sired  by   Sir  Charles,   a   son   of   Sir  Archy;   dam  by 


268 


THOROUGHBRED    AND    PACING    CROSSES. 

Randolph's  Roanoke,  son  of  Sir  Archy.  This  horse 
was  also  owned  in  the  South.  The  third,  Prince  Ed- 
ward, was  owned  in  Canada,  and  was  too  young  to 
have  got  the  second  dam  of  Elyria.  It  is  probable 
from  the  date  of  her  birth  that  she  was  by  the  son 
of  Sir  Charles  that  was  foaled  in  1834.  One  thing  is 
sure.  The  dam  of  Elyria  was  not  a  pacer  and  had  no 
known  pacing  inheritance.  Neither  the  success  of 
Mambrino  King  nor  Elyria  can  be  attributed  to  the 
pacing  element. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  pacing  gait  is  more  con- 
ducive to  extreme  speed  than  the  trotting  gait.  It 
required  no  greater  amount  of  nerve  force,  energy, 
or  propelling  power,  to  enable  Jay-Eye-See  to  pace  a 
mile  in  2.06  1-4  than  it  did  to  trot  a  mile  in  2.10— 
probably  not  as  great.  There  is  no  doubt  that  a  fast 
pacing  stallion  or  mare  may  transmit  fast  trotting 
ability;  neither  is  there  any  doubt  that  slow  pacers 
which  have  no  speed  inheritance  cannot  do  this.  It 
would  be  contrary  to  the  law  of  heredity.  Every  fast 
pacer  whose  breeding  is  known  has  a  thoroughbred 
inheritance  from  some  ancestor  or  ancestors.  There 
are  but  few  instances  where  a  pacing  stallion  whose 
sire  was  a  trotter  has  been  more  successful  as  a  sire 
of  trotting  speed  than  some  trotting  stallion  by  the 
same  sire.  Direct  (2.05  1-2)  is  one  of  them.  He  was 
a  trotter  at  first  and  took  a  record  of  2.18  1-4  at  that 
gait  as  a  four-year-old.  Moreover,  his  second  dam 
was  by  Jack  Hawkins,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Boston. 
Sidney   (2.19  3-4)     was  another,    and  he,  too,  trotted 

269 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

when  young.  It  was  undoubtedly  their  speed  inheri- 
tance and  not  their  pacing  gait  that  made  them  suc- 
cessful sires  of  trotting  speed.  There  was  a  stallion 
by  Alexander's  Abdallah  that  paced.  He  was  known 
as  Pacing  Abdallah  and  so  registered.  Many  years 
ago  it  was  expected  and  predicted  by  those  who  be- 
lieved that  the  speed  of  the  trotter  came  from  the  pacer 
that  Pacing  Abdallah  would  prove  the  most  successful 
of  all  the  sons  of  Alexander's  Abdallah  as  a  progenitor 
of  trotting  speed.  He  got  in  all  two  trotters  that 
made  standard  records,  viz.,  W.  H.  B.  (2.28  1-4)  and 
Bay  Mate  (2.30).  The  only  son  of  Pacing  Abdallah 
that  had  sired  a  standard  performer  up  to  the  close 
of  1903  was  Billy  Campbell,  and  his  only  performer 
was  Grace  A.  (2.161-4). 


I 


270 


Chapter  XI. 
INFLUENCE    OF    THE    THOROUGHBRED. 


Blood  Lines  of  Noted  Winners. — Top  Gallant. — Screwdriver. — 
Whalebone. — Dutchman. — Lady  Suffolk. — Flora  Temple. — 
Dexter. — Goldsmith  Maid. — Rarus. — St.  Julien. — Jay-Eye- 
See. — Maud  S. — Sunol. — Nancy  Hanks. — Alix. — The  Abbot- 
Cresceus. — Lou  Dillon. 

There  is  a  decided  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to 
the  influence  of  a  thoroughbred  cross  upon  a  trotter. 
Some  contend  that  as  the  thoroughbred  has  been  bred 
for  generations  to  race  at  the  running  gait  and  can- 
not trot  fai^t  as  compared  with  trotting  speed  of  the 
present  day,  that  a  thoroughbred  cross  of  any  kind 
must  be,  and  surely  is,  detrimental  to  trotting  speed. 
They  say  it  is  absurd  to  claim  that  any  benefit  to  a 
trotter  can  come  from  a  thoroughbred  cross  from  an 
animal  that  can't  trot.  Some  of  the  advocates  of  this 
idea  have  attempted  to  heap  ridicule  and  abuse  upon 
those  who  think  and  argue  differently.  To  many,  es- 
pecially those  who  have  given  but  little  thought  to 
the  subject  and  others  who  have  studied  it  super- 
ficially, such  statements  and  opinions  seem  plausible. 
Students  of  the  breeding  problem,  however,  as  well  as 
unprejudiced   practical   breeders,   care   little   for   the 


271 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

opinions  of  any  writer.  What  the  man  who  studies 
and  thinks  for  himself  wants  is  facts,  not  opinions. 
Give  him  the  facts  and  he  can  form  his  own  opinion. 
Now  what  are  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  effects  of  a 
thoroughbred  cross  on  the  trotter  as  shown  by  the 
Year  Book  and  Register?  Beginning  with  the  most 
noted  of  the  early  American  trotters  and  the  most  sue 
cessful  sires  and  dams  of  such,  how  were  they  bred? 
What  were  the  blood  lines  of  the  most  successful  speed 
perpetuators  and  of  the  descendants  of  these  famous 
sirs  and  dams? 

Blood  Lines  of  Noted  Winners.  What  combina- 
tions of  blood  lines  have  produced  the  world's  record 
breakers  from  Lady  Suffolk  (2.291-2)  to  Lou  Dillon 
;^1  58 12)  and  the  record-breaking  producing  sires 
from  Rysdyk's  HambJetonian,  the  greatest  trotting 
progenitor  of  all  time,  to  Nutwood  (2.18  3-4)  and  Al- 
lerton  (2.09  1-4),  the  greatest  of  their  age  that  have 
ever  lived?  Plain,  unvarnished  facts  must  outweigh 
in  all  unprejudiced  minds  mere  theories  and  opinions 
that  are  not  supported  by  facts.  Let  us  go  back  to  the 
earliest  of  the  American  trotters  and  see  from  what 
source  they  came,  then  follow  along  down  through 
the  line  of  the  most  famous  of  the  world's  trotting 
record-breakers  and  see  from  what  sort  of  ancestors 
they  came.  Facts  gleaned  from  the  study  of  such 
should  throw  some  light  upon  this  subject. 

Top  Gallant.  Four  of  the  most  noted  and  success- 
ful of  the  early  trotters  whose  breeding  is  known,  taken 
in  the  order  of  the  date  that  they  were  foaled,  were 
Top  Gallant,  Screwdriver,  Whalebone  and  Dutchman. 


272 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

Top  Gallant  was  foaled  about  1810  and  got  by  Corian- 
der, whose  sire  was  imported  Messenger,  a  horse  bred 
for  racing  at  the  running  gait,  and  that  was  raced  for 
several  seasons  in  England  with  fair  success.  The 
dam  of  Coriander  was  by  Allen's  Brown  Figure,  prob- 
ably a  descendant  of  that  son  of  Grey  Figure  which 
won  a  four-mile  running  race  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  in 
1766.  Coriander's  second  dam  was  by  Rainbow,  a  son 
of  the  imported  running-bred  Wildair.  a  successful  sire 
of  race  winners,  both  in  England  and  in  America. 

The  dam  of  Top  Gallant  was  by  Bishop's  Hamble- 
tonian,  a  running-bred  horse  and  quite  a  successful 
race  winner,  whose  sire  was  imported  Messenger,  and 
whose  dam  was  Pheasant,  by  imported  Shark,  a  son 
of  Marske,  the  sire  of  the  invincible  English  Eclipse. 
Top  Gallant  was  trotting  races  of  four-mile  heats  after 
he  was  twenty-two  years  old  and  was  well  up  with  the 
best  of  the  trotters  even  then.  He  was  inbred  to  im- 
ported Messenger  and  had  several  other  running 
crosses  close  up.  His  immediate  ancestors,  in  fact 
all  of  his  ancestors  so  far  as  known,  were  from  run- 
ning-bred stock. 

Screwdriver.  Screwdriver  was  foaled  in  1819  and 
was  raced  from  1824  to  1828,  when  he  died.  He  beat 
some  of  the  best  of  his  day,  including  the  noted  Top 
Gallant.  Screwdriver  was  got  by  American  Com- 
mander, a  son  of  Commander,  by  imported  Messenger. 
The  dam  of  American  Commander  was  by  the  thor- 
oughbred imported  Light  Infantry.  Screwdriver's 
dam  was  by  Mount  Holly,  a  son  of  imported  Messenger. 
The  dam  of  Mount  Holly  was  by  Bajazet,  a  thorough 
bred  son  of  imported  Bajazet,  and  his  second  dam  was 


273 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

by  Bashaw,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Wildair. 
Screwdriver,  like  old  Top  Gallant,  was  inbred  to  im- 
ported Messenger  and  also  inherited  a  large  amount 
of  other  thoroughbred  blood. 

Whalebone.  Whalebone  was  foaled  about  1820, 
hence  was  about  ten  years  younger  than  old  Top 
Gallant.  He  was  a  horse  of  great  endurance  and  once 
beat  Top  Gallant,  though  he  was  never  so  fast  as 
Top  Gallant  in  his  prime.  He  was  only  ten  years  old 
when  he  beat  Top  Gallant,  and  the  latter  was  then  20 
years  old.  In  1831  Whalebone  trotted  thirty-two 
miles  in  one  hour,  fifty-eight  minutes  and  five  seconds. 
His  sire  was  Bishop's  Hambletonian,  a  running-bred 
son  of  imported  Messenger,  and  his  dam  was  by 
CoflSn's  Messenger,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam 
of  Coffin's  Messenger  was  by  Feather,  a  son  of  the 
thoroughbred  imported  Light  Infantry. 

Dutchman.  Dutchman  was  foaled  in  1828  and  was 
the  greatest  trotter  that  had  ever  been  produced  up  to 
his  time.  Hie  sire  was  Tippoo  Saib,  Jr.,  a  son  of  Mur- 
phy's Engineer,  and  Murphy's  Engineer  was  by  Grey 
Mambrino,  a  son  of  imported  Messenger.  The  dam 
of  Dutchman  was  by  Mambrino,  a  son  of  im- 
ported Messenger  that  was  also  known  as  Fox- 
hunter,  and  this  Mambrino's  (Fox-hunter)  dam 
was  by  Pulaski,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Why- 
not.  The  latter  was  a  thoroughbred  son  of 
imported  Fearnaught.  The  second  dam  of  Fox- 
hunter  was  by  Wilkes,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  imported 
Figure;  third  dam  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  True 
Briton,  a   son  of  imported  Othello.     Dutchman  beat 


274 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

all  the  best  trotters  of  his  day,  including  the  famous 
Lady  Suffolk. 

Lady  Suffolk.  The  first  trotter  to  take  a  record 
below  2.30  to  harness  was  Lady  Suffolk,  that  won  a 
race  against  Moscow  at  Beacon  Course,  N.  J.,  October 
13,  1845,  taking  first,  second  and  fifth  heats  in  2.34, 
2.29  1-2,  2.36.  Moscow  won  the  second  and  third  heats 
in  2.30,  2.34.  Lady  Suffolk  was  both  a  world's  cham- 
pion trotting  record  breaker  and  a  world's  champion 
race  winner.  She  was  campaigned  for  fifteen  seasons, 
won  eighty-one  races  and  received  two  forfeits.  Many 
of  her  races  were  two-mile  heats,  and  some  of  them 
were  four-mile  heats.  The  first  race  that  she  won  was 
on  the  Beacon  Course,  N.  J.,  June  22,  1838,  and  her 
last  victory  was  at  Union  Course,  Long  Island,  N.  Y., 
July  5,  1852.  This  wonderful  mare  was  bred  by  Leon- 
ard W.  Lawrence,  Smithtown,  L.  I.,  and  foaled  in  1833. 
Her  sire  was  Engineer  2d,  a  son  of  Engineer  by 
imported  Messenger.  The  dam  of  Engineer  2d  was 
raced  successfully  at  the  running  gait.  Her  sire  was 
Plato,  a  full  brother  of  Bishop's  Hambletonian,  the 
best  son  of  imported  Messenger.  The  second  dam  of 
Engineer  2d  was  by  Kainbow,  a  running-bred  son  of 
the  famous  imported  Wildair.  The  dam  of  Lady  Suf- 
folk was  by  Don  Quixote.  His  sire  was  Potomac,  a 
thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Messenger,  and  his  dam 
was  a  daughter  of  imported  Messenger.  This  Don 
Quixote  is  registered  in  Vol.  1  of  the  American  Trot- 
ting Register,  where  it  is  stated  that  he  was  by  im- 
ported Messenger,  and  from  a  dam  of  unknown 
breeding,  but  this  was  discovered  to  be  an  error  and 
was  corrected    in  Vol.    3  of  the    American  Trotting 


275 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Register,  where  his  breeding  is  given  as  above.  The 
second  dam  of  Lady  Suffolk  was  by  Rainbow,  the  run- 
ning-bred son  of  imported  Wildair  that  got  the  second 
dam  of  Engineer  2d,  by  which  it  will  be  seen  that  Lady 
Suffolk  was  strongly  inbred  to  imported  Messenger, 
and  was  also  inbred  to  the  imported  Wildair 
strain.  The  get  of  imported  Wildair  was  so  highly 
esteemed  in  England  that  after  the  horse  had  been  in 
this  country  a  few  years  he  was  bought  by  an  English 
breeder  for  stock  purposes  and  taken  back  to  his  native 
land.  He  was  a  near  descendant  of  Godolphin  Ara- 
bian, Darley  Arabian  and  Byerley  Turk,  the  three 
horses  to  which  the  famous  English  thoroughbred 
race  horse  is  most  largely  indebted  for  his  speed  and 
superior  racing  qualities.  Wildair  was  by  Cade,  one 
of  the  most  successful  sons  of  Godolphin  Arabian  as 
a  progenitor  of  race  winners.  The  dam  of  Wildair 
was  by  Steady,  a  noted  son  of  the  renowned  Flying 
Childers,  the  fastest  runner  in  England  in  his  day 
and  a  son  of  Darley  Arabian.  Wildair's  third  dam 
was  by  Croft's  Partner,  and  he  by  Jigg,  a  son  of  Byer- 
ley Turk.  Pick's  description  of  this  horse  has  already 
been  stated.  It  is  as  follows:  'Partner  was  a  horse 
of  great  strength,  fine  shape  and  beauty.  He  was  the 
best  racer  of  his  time  at  Newmarket.  This  most  ex- 
cellent horse  was  allowed  to  be  as  fine  a  stallion  as 
any  ever  bred  in  this  kingdom  and  not  inferior  to 
any  foreign  one." 

Such  was  all  that  is  known  of  the  breeding  of  the 
renowned  race  winner  and  world's  record-breaking 
trotter.  Lady  Suffolk  (2.291-2).  All  of  her  ancestors 
whose  breeding  was  known  were  from   race-winning 


276 


INFLUENCE   OF    THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

running  stock,  like  those  of  Top  Gallant,  Screwdriver, 
Whalebone  and  Dutchman.  Narragansett  pacers  were 
plentiful  when  the  ancestors  of  these  animals  were 
bred,  and  there  were  undoubtedly  some  cart  horses  in 
this  country  at  that  time,  but  these  noted  animals 
so  far  as  known  did  not  inherit  a  cross  from  either  of 
those  sources. 

Flora  Temple.  During  the  last  year  that  Lady 
Suffolk  (2.29 1-2)  was  raced  another  trotter  that 
proved  a  worthy  successor  began  her  racing  career. 
This  was  Flora  Temple.  She  was  raced  successfully 
for  twelve  consecutive  seasons,  and  lowered  the  world's 
champion  trotting  record  to  2.19  3-4  in  the  third  heat 
of  a  race  that  she  won  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  October 
15,  1859.  Flora  Temple  won  in  all  ninety-five  races 
against  the  best  trotters  of  her  day.  At  Fashion 
Course,  Long  Island,  July  25,  1861,  she  beat  Ethan 
Allen  and  running  mate  in  2.21 1-4,  2.20  1-2,  distancing 
the  team  in  the  second  heat.  This  was  her  last  victory, 
and  a  fitting  climax  to  a  most  brilliant  turf  careii. 
Flora  Temple  was  bred  by  Samuel  Welch  of  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  foaled  in  1845.  It  was  stated  at  one 
time,  and  is  still  claimed  by  some,  that  her  sire  was 
One  Eyed  Kentucky  Hunter,  but  Mr.  Welch,  who  bred 
her,  stated  in  a  letter  published  in  Wallace's  Monthly 
of  February,  1878,  that  her  sire  was  Bogus  Hunter. 
The  latter  was  by  Kentucky  Hunter  and  he  by  Wat- 
kins  Highlander,  a  son  of  the  thoroughbred  imported 
Brown  Highlander.  The  dam  of  Kentucky  Hunter 
was  said  to  be  a  daughter  of  the  noted  four-mile  race 
horse  Sir  Henry,  by  Sir  Archy. 


277 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Mr.  Welch  undoubtedly  intended  to  state  facts  and 
believed  sincerely  that  he  was  doing  so  when  he  made 
the  statement  above  referred  to,  that  Flora  Temple  was 
by  Bogus  Hunter.  There  is  very  strong  evidence, 
however,  to  show  that,  owing  to  his  advanced  age  and 
the  long  time  that  had  elapsed  after  the  incident  had 
occurred,  and  before  he  made  the  statement  to  Mr. 
Wallace,  that  some  important  details  connected  with 
the  event  had  escaped  his  memory.  There  is  direct 
evidence  to  prove  that  Mr.  Welch  took  the  dam  of  Flora 
Temple  to  the  home  of  Bogus  Hunter  and  had  her 
mated  with  that  horse,  but  that  she  failed  to  conceive 
and  was  sent  back  by  a  boy.  Bogus  Hunter  was  so 
busy  the  day  that  she  was  returned  that  his  stable 
mate,  One  Eyed  Kentucky  Hunter,  was  used  instead. 
Both  were  by  the  same  sire,  but  Bogus  Hunter  was 
considerably  larger  than  One  Eyed  Kentucky  Hunter. 
Flora  Temple  bore  a  much  stronger  resemblance  in 
size  to  the  latter  than  the  former,  and  the  evidence 
seems  conclusive  that  One  Eyed  Kentucky  Hunter  was 
her  sire. 

The  dam  of  Flora  Temple  was  by  a  spotted  horse 
that  was  claimed  to  be  all  Arabian  or  from  Arabian 
stock,  but  we  have  never  been  able  to  learn  his  breed- 
ing. The  second  dam  of  Flora  Temple  was  described 
by  Mr.  John  L,  Peck,  who  knew  her  well,  as  she  was 
owned  by  his  father.  This  Mr.  Peck  says  she  was  a 
bay  in  color,  with  black  points,  low  set  and  heavy, 
would  weigh  from  ten  hundred  and  fifty  to  ten  hundred 
and  seventy-five  pounds,  had  a  docked  tail,  and  was  a 
very  smart  animal,  but  he  knew  nothing  of  her  origin 
or  breeding.     The  above  is  all  that  the  writer  has  ever 


278 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   THOROUGHBRED. 

been  able  to  learn  of  the  most  remarkable  trotter  of 
her  day. 

Dexter.  The  first  trotter  to  beat  the  record  of 
Flora  Temple  was  Dexter,  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 
Dexter^s  best  record  was  2.17  1-4,  but  it  is  not  improb 
able  that  it  would  have  been  considerably  faster  had 
the  horse  not  passed  to  the  ownership  of  Robert 
Bonner  soon  after  his  record  of  2.17  1-4  was  made. 
Mr.  Bonner  never  raced  his  horses  in  public.  He 
bought  the  fastest  trotters  that  could  be  found,  paid 
higher  prices  than  any  other  gentleman  of  his  time, 
and  used  them  for  his  private  driving.  Dexter 
(2.171-4),  as  everyone  knows,  was  by  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian,  and  his  dam  was  by  Seely's  American 
Star.  It  was  claimed  at  one  time  that  the  trotter 
Dexter  was  by  Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29),  but  the 
only  ground  for  that  claim  was  the  fact  that  he  had 
four  white  feet  and  some  white  in  his  face.  Years  ago 
we  wrote  to  Mr.  Jonathan  Hawkins,  the  breeder  of 
Dexter,  asking  him  if  Clara,  Dexter's  dam,  was  mated 
with  Sayre's  Harry  Clay  the  year  before  Dexter  was 
foaled.  He  replied  that  she  was  never  mated  with 
that  horse.  Seely's  American  Star  was  raced  when 
young  at  the  running  gait.  He  was  afterwards  trained 
to  trot,  and  showed  considerable  speed  at  that  way 
of  going.  He  was  undoubtedly  by  Stockholm's  Ameri- 
can Star,  whose  sire  was  Duroc  and  whose  dam  was 
closely  inbred  to  the  Messenger  strain.  The  dam  of 
Seely's  American  Star  was  by  Sir  Henry,  a  son  of  Sir 
Archy,  and  his  second  dam  was  a  daughter  of  imported 
Messenger.  This  is  all  that  is  known  of  the  breeding 
of  Dexter.     If  there  were  any  cold-blooded  animals  or 


279 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

any  pacers  among  his  ancestors  they  have  never  been 
discovered. 

Goldsmith  Maid.  The  first  trotter  to  beat  Dexter' s 
2.17 1-4  was  the  wonderful  mare  Goldsmith  Maid, 
foaled  in  1857,  and  she  finally  lowered  the  world's 
champion  trotting  record  to  2.14  at  Mystic  Park,  Med- 
ford,  September  2,  1874,  being  then  upwards  of  seven- 
teen years  old.  She  equalled  this  record,  at  Belmont 
Park,  Philadelphia,  June  23,  1876.  She  beat  Rarus 
in  a  race  at  Chico,  Cal.,  May  19,  1877,  in  straight  heats, 
time  2.19  1-2.  2.14  1-2,  2.17,  and  was  then  upwards  of 
twenty  years  old.  Goldsmith  Maid  was  bred  by  John 
B.  Decker,  Deckertown,  N.  J.  Her  sire  was  Alexan- 
der's Abdallah,  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  Her  dam 
wa<?  by  old  Abdallah,  the  sire  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian, and  her  second  dam  was  raced  at  four-mile 
heats  at  the  running  gait,  but  nothing  is  known  of  her 
breeding.  Judging  from  the  fact  that  she  was  a 
runner  and  was  good  enough  to  race  at  that  gait,  it  is 
reasonable  to  believe  that  she  was  not  from  cold- 
blooded ancestors.  The  dam  of  Alexander's  Abdallah 
was  said  to  be  by  Bay  Roman,  a  son  of  imported  Ro- 
man. This  has  been  questioned,  and  an  effort  was 
made  some  years  ago  to  trace  her  breeding,  but  the 
parties  knowing  to  the  facts  were  either  dead  or  so 
scattered  that  they  could  not  be  found,  and  the  effort 
failed,  i^o  evidence  has  ever  been  presented  to  prove 
that  any  of  the  ancestors  of  Goldsmith  Maid  were 
from  cold-blooded  or  from  pacing  stock,  and  no  such 
claim  ha«?  ever  been  made  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
writer. 


280 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   THOROUGHBRED, 

Rarus.  On  August  3,  1878,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  the 
world's  champion  trotting  record  was  lowered  to 
2.13  1-4  by  Rarus.  The  sire  of  Rarus  was  Conklin's 
Abdallah,  and  he  was  claimed  to  be  a  son  of  old  Ab- 
dallah.  There  is  little  doubt  that  such  was  the  case, 
though,  so  far  as  known,  his  breeder  has  never  been 
reached.  The  dam  of  Rarus  was  Nancy  Awful  by 
Smith  Burr's  Napoleon.  The  latter  was  an  inbred 
Messenger.  The  second  dam  of  Rarus  was  Lady 
Hunter  by  Vermont  Black  Hawk.  There  are  no  cold 
crosses  or  pacing  crosses  in  the  dam  of  Rarus  so  far 
as  known,  though  the  Register  erroneously  gives  the 
dam  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk  as  a  pacer.  The  author 
of  the  Register  was  unconsciously  led  into  this  error 
by  someone  who  in  attempting  to  trace  the  dam  of 
Vermont  Black  Hawk  got  on  the  trail  of  the  wrong 
animal. 

St.  Julien.  The  2.131-4  of  Rarus  stood  as  the 
world's  champion  trotting  record  till  October  25,  1879, 
when  St.  Julien  reduced  it  to  2.12  3-4  at  Oakland,  Oal. 
He  afterwards  reduced  it  to  2.11 1-4  at  Hartford, 
Conn.,  August  27,  1880.  St.  Julien  was  foaled  in  1869. 
His  sire  was  Volunteer.  The  latter  was  by  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian  and  his  dam  was  Lady  Patriot,  by 
Young  Patriot,  whose  sire  was  Patriot,  a  son  of  the 
thoroughbred  Blucher,  by  Duroc.  The  second  dam  of 
Volunteer  was  the  Lewis  Hulse  mare.  Nothing  is 
known  of  her  breeding,  but  she  was  a  fast  runner  and 
also  a  fast  trotter.  It  has  been  stated  upon  good  au- 
thority that  the  owner  of  the  Lewis  Hulse  mare  issued 
a  standing  challenge  to  run  or  trot  her  against  any- 
thing that  could  be  led  into  that  county.     The  dam 


281 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

of  St.  Julien  was  Flora  by  Sayre's  Harry  Clay  (2.29) ; 
second  dam  by  Napoleon,  a  son  of  imported  Napoleon 
and  third  dam  by  Cox's  imported  Arabian.  The  an- 
cestors of  St.  Julien  so  far  as  known  were  all  from 
the  best  of  racing  stock. 

Jay-Eye- See.  The  first  trotter  to  take  so  fast  a 
record  as  2.10  was  Jay-Eye-See.  He  trotted  to  this 
record  at  Narragansett  Park,  Providence,  R.  I.,  August 
1,  1884.  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10)  was  foaled  in  1878.  His 
sire  was  Dictator,  a  full  brother  of  the  renowned 
Dexter  (2.171-4),  being  by  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian 
and  from  the  great  brood  mare  Clara,  by  Seely's 
American  Star.  The  dam  of  Jay-Eye-See  was  Mid- 
night, by  Pilot,  Jr.,  whose  breeding  has  already  been 
given.  Jay-Eye-See's  second  dam  was  Twilight,  a  run- 
ning-bred daughter  of  the  great  four-mile  race  horse 
Lexington,  by  Boston.  The  third  dam  of  Jay-Eye-See 
was  Daylight,  by  imported  Glencoe;  fourth  dam  Dark- 
ness, by  Wagner,  a  four-mile  race  record  breaker  in  his 
day,  whose  sire  was  Sir  Charles,  by  Sir  Archy,  and 
whose  dam,  Maria  West,  was  by  Marion,  another  son 
of  Sir  Archy.  The  fifth  dam  of  Jay-Eye-See  was  Lady 
Gray,  by  Sir  Richard  Tonson;  sixth  dam  Lucy  Clark, 
by  Tennessee  Oscar,  a  son  of  Wonder,  by  imported 
Diomed;  seventh  dam  by  imported  Knowlesly,  and 
eighth  dam  by  imported  Diomed.  The  dam  of  Pilot, 
Jr.,  sire  of  Jay-Eye-See's  dam,  was  by  a  running-bred 
son  of  Sir  Archy,  and  all  the  dams  beyond  that  were 
from  the  best  of  running-bred  stock  on  both  sides. 

Maud  S.  The  first  trotter  to  beat  the  record  of  Jay- 
Eye-See  (2.10)  was  Maud  S.,  and  she  finally  lowered 
the  world's  champion  trotting  record  to  2.08  3-4.     This 


282 


I 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

was  at  Cleveland,  O.,  July  30,  1885.  Maud  S.  was  by 
Harold,  whose  sire  was  the  renowned  Rysdyk^s  Ham- 
bletonian  and  whose  dam  was  by  old  Abdallah,  the 
sire  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian.  The  blood  lines  of 
the  dam  of  Maud  S.  were  quite  similar  to  those  of  the 
dam  of  Jay-Eye-See.  Her  dam  was  Miss  Russell,  by 
Pilot,  Jr. ;  second  dam  Sally  Russell,  by  Boston ;  third 
dam  Maria  Russell,  by  Thornton's  Rattler,  a  son  of 
Sir  Archy ;  fourth  dam  Miss  Shepherd,  by  Stockholder, 
a  son  of  Sir  Archy ;  fifth  dam  Miranda,  by  Topgallant, 
son  of  imported  Diomed;  sixth  dam  a  daughter  of  im- 
ported Diomed  and  seventh  dam  by  imported  Medley. 
With  the  exception  of  old  pacing  Pilot,  sire  of  Pilot, 
Jr.,  all  of  the  ancestors  of  the  dam  of  Maud  S.,  so  far 
as  known,  were  from  the  best  of  running  race  horse 
stock. 

SuNOL.  The  next  trotting  record  breaker  was  Sunol, 
foaled  in  1886.  She  lowered  the  world's  champion 
trotting  record  to  2.08  1-4  at  Stockton,  Cal.,  October 
20,  1891.  Sunol  was  by  Electioneer,  whose  sire  waa 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  whose  dam,  the  famous 
Green  Mountain  Maid,  was  by  Say  re's  Harry  Clay 
(2.29).  The  second  dam  of  Electioneer  was  Shanghai 
Mary,  whose  sire  was  undoubtedly  Iron's  Cadmus,  and 
whose  dam  was  running  bred.  The  dam  of  Sunol  was 
Waxana,  by  the  fast  trotting  stallion  Gen.  Benton. 
Sunol's  second  dam  was  Waxy,  a  running-bred 
daughter  of  the  renowned  four-mile  record  breaker 
Lexington,  by  Boston;  third  dam  Keenon  Mare,  by 
Brawner's  Eclipse,  son  of  American  Eclipse;  fourth 
dam  Mary  Streshly  by  John  Henry,  a  son  of  Muckle 
John,  by  Sir  Archy;  and  fifth  dam  Mary  Hunter,  by 


283 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

Harris'  Paragon.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  breed- 
ing of  Sunol  was  quite  similar  on  both  sides  to  that 
of  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4)  and  Jay-Eye-See  (2.10). 

Nancy  Hanks.  The  record  of  Sunol  (2.081-4) 
stood  as  the  best  ever  made  by  a  trotter  till  August 
17,  1892,  when  Nancy  Hanks,  foaled  in  1886,  hitched 
to  a  bicycle  sulky,  reduced  it  to  2.07  1-4,  and  finally, 
at  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  September  28,  1892,  lowered  it 
to  2.04.  Nancy  Hanks  was  by  Happy  Medium 
(2.321-2),  whose  sire  was  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian, 
and  whose  dam  was  the  noted  trotter  Princess  (2.30), 
that  forced  Flora  Temple  to  her  record  of  2.19  3-4. 
Princess  was  by  Andrus'  Hambletonian,  whose  sire, 
Judson's  Hambletonian,  was  by  Bishop's  Hambleton- 
ian, a  running-bred  son  of  imported  Messenger.  The 
dams  of  both  Judson's  and  Andrus'  Hambletonian 
were  by  a  descendant  of  imported  Magnum  Bonum, 
a  horse  strongly  inbred  to  the  renowned  Godolphin 
Arabian.  Princess'  dam  was  by  Burdick's  Engineer, 
a  son  of  Engineer,  by  imported  Messenger.  The  dam 
of  Nancy  Hanks  (2.04)  was  Nancy  Lee.  Her  sire  was 
Dictator,  the  full  brother  of  Dexter  (2.171-4),  whose 
breeding  has  already  been  given.  The  second  dam  of 
Nancy  Hanks  was  Sophy,  by  Alexander's  Edwin  For- 
rest, a  horse  inbred  to  Watkins'  Highlander,  a  son  of 
the  running-bred  imported  Brown  Highlander;  third 
dam  by  Parker's  Brown  Pilot,  whose  sire  was  Brutus, 
and  whose  dam  was  by  Cherokee,  a  thoroughbred  son 
of  Sir  Archy.  Brutus  was  by  the  Canadian  pacer  Old 
Copperbottom,  and  his  dam  was  by  the  thoroughbred 
Robin  Grey.  Nancy  Hanks'  fourth  dam  was  by  Ber- 
trand,    a    thoroughbred    son    of    Sir    Archy.     Nancy 


284 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

Hanks  is  quite  close  inbred  to  the  renowned  Rysdyk^s 
Hambletonian,  himself  a  strongly  inbred  Messenger. 
Princess,  the  dam  of  her  sire,  was  inbred  to  the  Mes- 
senger strain.  Nancy  Hanks  got  a  remote  pacing 
cross  through  old  Copperbottom,  and  considerable  of 
the  running  element  all  along  the  line. 

Alix.  The  record  of  Nancy  Hanks  (2.04)  stood  as 
the  best  for  trotters  until  September  19,  1894,  when 
Alix,  then  six  years  old,  reduced  it  to  2.03  3-4,  at 
Galesburg,  111.  Alix  was  got  by  Patronage,  a  son  of 
Pancoast  (2.213-4),  and  he  a  son  of  Woodford  Mam- 
brino  (2.211-2),  the  fastest  son  of  Mambrino  Chief. 
The  dam  of  Woodford  Mambrino  was  by  Woodford,  a 
running-bred  son  of  Kosciusko,  by  Sir  Archy.  Pan- 
coast's  dam  was  the  great  brood  mare  Bicara  (dam  of 
six  trotters  in  the  list),  by  Harold,  son  of  Bysdyk's 
Hambletonian;  second  dam  Belle  (dam  of  McCurdy's 
Hambletonian,  2.261-2,  Alexander's  Belmont,  64,  etc.), 
by  Mambrino  Chief;  and  third  dam  by  Brown's  Bell- 
founder,  whose  sire  was  the  Norfolk  trotter  imported 
Bellfounder,  and  whose  dam.  Lady  Allport,  was  very 
closely  inbred  to  imported  Messenger.  She  was  by 
Mambrino,  the  running-bred  son  of  imported  Messen- 
ger that  got  Abdallah.  Her  dam  was  by  Tippoo  Saib, 
another  running-bred  son  of  imported  Messenger,  and 
her  second  dam  was  a  daughter  of  imported  Messen- 
ger. The  dam  of  Patronage,  sire  of  Alix  (2.03  3-4), 
was  Beatrice  by  Cuyler,  a  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian. Beatrice  was  a  full  sister  of  Elvira,  that 
reduced  the  world's  champion  four-year-old  trotting 
record  to  2.18  1-2.  The  second  dam  of  Patronage  was 
Mary  Mambrino,  by  Herr's  Mambrino  Patchen;  third 

285 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

dam  Belle  Wagner,  by  Embryos  Wagner,  a  thorough- 
bred son  of  the  old  four-mile  race  record  breaker  Wag- 
ner; fourth  dam  Lady  Bell,  by  Bellfounder,  Jr.,  a  son 
of  imported  Bellfounder;  fifth  dam  Multiflora,  a  thor- 
oughbred daughter  of  Monmouth  Eclipse,  by  American 
Eclipse;  and  sixth  dam  by  Kosciusko,  the  son  of  Sir 
Archy  that  got  the  thoroughbred  Woodford,  sire  of  the 
great  brood  mare  Woodbine,  that  produced  Wedge- 
wood  (2.19)  and  Woodford  Mambrino  (2.211-2). 

The  dam  of  Alix  (2.03  3-4)  was  Atlanta.  Her  sire, 
Attorney,  was  by  Harold,  the  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian  that  got  the  old-time  champion  Maud  S. 
(2.08  3-4).  The  dam  of  Attorney  was  Maud  (dam  of 
King  Jim,  2.201-2),  by  Alexander's  Abdallah;  second 
dam  the  Robert  Bruce  mare,  a  thoroughbred  daughter 
of  Robert  Bruce;  third  dam  by  Muckle  John,  by  Sir 
Archy.  Robert  Bruce  was  by  Clinton,  a  son  of  Sir 
Charles  by  Sir  Archy,  and  his  dam  was  by  Sir  Archy. 
The  second  dam  of  Alix  was  Flirt,  by  Gen.  Hatch,  and 
he  was  by  Strader's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.  (22).  His 
dam  was  by  imported  Envoy,  and  his  second  dam  was 
by  imported  Tranby.  Alix's  third  dam  was  the  great 
brood  mare  Dolly,  by  Iowa,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  im- 
ported Glencoe.  The  dam  of  Iowa  was  Maria  Pearce, 
by  Veto,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy ;  second  dam  Mary  Stuart, 
by  John  Richards,  another  son  of  Sir  Archy;  third 
dam  by  Ogle's  Oscar  and  fourth  dam  by  imported 
Messenger,  The  fourth  dam  of  Alix  (2.03  3-4)  was 
Dolly  Aldrich.  She  probably  originated  in  Ohio,  the 
State  that  produced  Shanghai  Mary,  dam  of  the  fa- 
mous Green  Mountain  Maid.  The  noted  old-time 
pacing  champion  Pocahontas  (2.17  1-2)  was  also  bred 


286 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    THOROUGHBRED. 

in  Ohio.  Whether  Dolly  Aldrich  came  from  the  same 
stock  as  Shanghai  Mary  and  Pocahontas  is  not  known, 
as  her  breeding  has  never  been  made  public.  Alix 
(2.03  3-4)  was  a  very  high-class  race  mare,  as  well  as 
a  world's  champion  trotting  record  breaker,  and  her 
pedigree  is  of  unusual  interest  to  all  breeders  of  trot- 
ting stock. 

The  Abbot.  The  Abbot,  foaled  in  1893,  reduced  the 
world's  champion  trotting  record  to  2.031-4,  at  Terre 
Haute,  Ind.,  September  25,  1900.  He  was  got  by 
Chimes  (2.30  3-4),  whose  sire  was  Electioneer,  and 
whose  dam  was  the  famous  brood  mare  Beautiful  Bells 
(2.29  1-2)  ;  second  dam  the  great  brood  mare  Minne- 
haha, by  Stevens'  Bald  Chief;  third  dam  Nettie  Claj^ 
by  Strader's  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.,  22,  and  fourth  dam 
by  old  Abdallah.  Beautiful  Bells  was  by  The  Moor 
(2.37),  whose  sire  was  Clay  Pilot  and  whose  dam  was 
the  thoroughbred  Belle  of  Wabash,  trotting  record  2.40. 

The  Abbot's  dam  was  Nettie  King  (2.201-4),  by 
Mambrino  King,  whose  sire  was  Herr's  Mambrino 
Patchen  and  whose  dam  was  by  Alexander's  Edwin 
Forrest  from  a  running-bred  daughter  of  Birmingham, 
a  thoroughbred  son  of  Stockholder,  by  Sir  Archy.  The 
second  dam  of  The  Abbot  (2.03  1-4)  was  Nettie  Mur- 
phy, by  Hamlin  Patchen,  whose  sire,  the  famous 
George  M.  Patchen  (2.23  1-2),  was  by  Cassius  M.  Clay, 
a  son  of  old  Henry  Clay,  and  whose  dam  was  by 
Head'em,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  imported  Trustee. 
The  dam  of  Head'em  was  Itasca.  Her  sire  was  the  re- 
nowned four-mile  race  winner  American  Eclipse,  and 
her  dam  was  Betsey  Ransom,  a  highly  distinguished 
daughter  of  Virginian,  by  Sir  Archy.     The  third  dam 


287 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

of  The  Abbot  (2.03 1-4)  was  by  a  son  of  the  running- 
bred  Kentucky  Whip.  It  appears  from  the  above  that 
Nettie  King  (2.201-2),  dam  of  The  Abbot  (2.031-4), 
inherited  a  large  amount  of  the  race  winning  running 
element.  The  Abbot  (2.03  1-4)  was  a  very  successful 
campaigner  in  the  Grand  Circuit  as  well  as  a  world^s 
champion  trotter. 

Cresceus.  Next  in  order  of  the  world^s  champion 
trotting  record  breakers  is  Cresceus,  foaled  in  1894, 
that  trotted  to  a  record  of  2.021-4  at  Columbus,  0., 
August  2,  1901.  Cresceus  (2.021-4)  was  by  Robert 
McGregor  (2.171-2),  whose  sire  was  Maj.  Edsall 
(2.29),  a  son  of  Alexander's  Abdallah.  The  dam  of 
Bobert  McGregor  was  Nancy  Whitman,  by  Seely's 
American  Star,  and  his  second  dam  was  by  Young 
Messenger  Duroc,  a  son  of  Lawrence's  Messenger 
Duroc,  he  by  Sir  Archy  Duroc,  a  son  of  the  thorough- 
bred Duroc,  by  imported  Diomed.  The  dam  of 
Cresceus  was  the  great  brood  mare  Mabel,  that  also 
produced  Nightingale  (2.101-2),  etc.  Mabel  was  by 
Mambrino  Howard,  whose  sire  was  Mambrino  Chief 
and  whose  dam  was  by  a  horse  called  Davy  Crockett 
(Scrugg's),  whose  breeding  we  have  never  been  able 
to  learn.  His  name  does  not  appear  in  the  Year  Book 
either  as  a  standard  performer  or  a  sire  of  such.  The 
second  dam  of  Cresceus  (2.02  1-4)  was  by  Allie  West 
(2.25)  that  died  when  but  six  years  old.  He  was  a 
well-bred  and  very  promising  son  of  Almont  by  Alex- 
ander's Abdallah.  The  third  dam  of  Cresceus  was 
by  Victor,  a  son  of  Downing's  Bay  Messenger.  The 
latter  was  by  Harpinus,  a  son  of  the  running-bred 
Bishop's  Hambletonian,  by  imported  Messenger.     The 

^88 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   THOROUGHBRED. 

fourth  dam  of  Cresceus  was  by  Crusader,  a  thorough- 
bred son  of  the  famous  Sir  Archy.  Cresceus  (2.02  1-4) 
was  as  greatly  noted  for  gameness  and  endurance  as 
for  speed.  He  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only 
stallion  whose  name  appears  in  the  table  of  world^s 
champion  trotters. 

Lou  Dillon.  The  trotting  record  was  reduced  to 
2.00  by  Lou  Dillon  at  Readville,  Mass.,  August  24, 
1903,  and  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  October  24, 1903,  she  low- 
ered it  to  1.58 1-2,  where  it  now  stands.  In  these 
performances  Lou  Dillon  was  preceded  by  a  running 
horse  that  pulled  a  cart  with  a  dirt  shield  suspended 
between  the  wheels  and  below  the  axle.  She  trotted 
a  mile  at  Memphis  in  2.01  in  1904  without  a  pacemaker 
in  front.  Lou  Dillon  was  foaled  in  1898.  Her  sire, 
Sidney  Dillon,  was  by  Sidney  (2.19  3-4),  a  son  of 
Santa  Glaus  (2.17  1-2),  and  from  the  great  brood  mare 
Venus,  whose  sire  was  a  son  of  the  thoroughbred  Wil- 
liamson's Belmont.  The  dam  of  Sidney  (2.19  3S-4) 
was  Sweetness  (2.21 1-4)  by  Volunteer,  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian ;  his  second  dam  was  by  Edward 
Everett,  a  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian,  and  his 
third  dam  by  Say  re's  Harry  Clay  (2.29).  Santa  Claus 
(2.17  1-2)  was  by  Strathmore,  a  son  of  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian. His  dam  was  Lady  Thorn,  Jr.,  by  Wil- 
liam's Mambrino ;  second  dam  Kate  by  Highland  Chief, 
son  of  Mambrino  Chief;  third  dam  by  Magowan's 
Halcorn,  a  son  of  Peter's  Halcorn,  whose  sire  was  Hal- 
corn,  a  thoroughbred  son  of  Virginian  by  Sir  Archy. 
The  fourth  dam  of  Santa  Claus  was  by  Cockrell'a 
Highlander,  whose  sire  was  Scott's  Highlander, 
a     son     of     Hunt's     Brown     Highlander,     and     he 


289 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER, 

by  Sir  Patrick  Highlander,  a  running-bred  son  of 
imported  Brown  Highlander.  William's  Mambrino, 
sire  of  the  dam  of  Santa  Glaus,  was  by  Ericsson 
(2.301-2),  a  son  of  Mambrino  Chief;  dam  by  Aratus, 
son  of  Director  by  Sir  Archy;  second  dam  by  Timo- 
leon,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy  that  got  the  famous  race  horse 
Boston,  sire  of  the  second  dam  of  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4). 
The  dam  of  Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2)  is  the  great  brood 
mare,  Lou  Milton,  by  Milton  Medium  (2.25  1-2),  whose 
sire  was  Happy  Medium  (2.321-2)  by  Rysdyk's  Ham- 
bletonian,  and  whose  dam  was  by  Sackett's  Ham- 
bletonian,  another  son  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian. 
The  breeding  of  the  second  dam  of  Lou  Dillon 
(1.581-2)  has  not  yet  been  fully  established  and  the 
breeding  of  the  second  dam  of  her  sire,  Sidney  Dillon, 
is  as  yet  unknown. 

One  remarkable  fact  in  the  breeding  of  all  the  above 
mentioned  record  breakers,  from  Dexter  (2.171-4)  to 
Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2),  stands  out  so  prominently  that 
it  must  impress  itself  upon  the  minds  of  all  unpre- 
judiced students  of  the  breeding  problem.  It  is  that, 
with  the  exception  of  Rarus  (2.131-4),  every  one  of 
them  has  inherited  the  blood  of  Rysdyk's  Hambleton- 
ian, and  all  except  Alix  (2.03  3-4)  trace  directly  to 
that  most  renowned  trotting  progenitor  in  the  pater- 
nal line.  Another  important  fact  is  that  in  Alix 
(2.03  3-4),  The  Abbot  (2.031-4),  Cresceus  (2.021-4) 
and  Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2),  the  Hambletonian  strain  is 
combined  with  that  of  Mambrino  Chief.  There  are 
also  from  one  to  several  strains  of  the  famous  Sir 
Archv  in  nearlv  all  of  them. 


290 


Chapter  XII. 
THE  WINNING  COMBINATION. 


Kysdyk's  Hambletonian  possessed  both  trotting  in- 
stinct and  speed  ability.  He  was  a  natural  trotter  and 
fast  for  his  day.  It  is  useless  for  anyone  to  attempt 
to  deii/  that  fact,  for  there  are  excellent  judges  of 
horse  stock  now  living  who  knew  the  horse,  rode  after 
him  and  can  testify  to  it.  Mambrino  Chief,  too,  was 
one  of  the  fastest  trotting  stallions  of  his  day.  Both 
of  them  got  trotters  that  were  much  faster  than  them- 
selves, and  also  got  stallions  that  were  more  success- 
ful than  themselves  as  sires  and  perpetuators  of 
uniform  and  extreme  speed.  The  fastest  trotter  got  by 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  was  Dexter  (2.171-4),  whose 
dam  was  by  Seely^s  American  Star,  a  horse  whose 
ancestors,  so  far  as  known,  were  running  bred.  The 
two  fastest  trotting  stallions  got  by  Rysdyk's  Hamble- 
tonian were  Jay  Gould  (2.21 1-2)  and  Artillery 
(2.21 1-2),  whose  dams  were  both  by  Seely's  American 
Star.  The  Hambletonian-American  Star  combination 
i»  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  a  number  of  record-break- 
ing trotters,  among  which  are  Dexter  (2.171-4),  Jay- 
Eye-See  (2.10),  Directum  (2.051-4),  Nancy  Hanks 
(2.04)  and  Cresceus  (2.021-4). 


291 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

The  fastest  of  the  get  of  Mambrino  Chief  was  Lady 
Thorn  (2.18 1-4) .  Her  dam,  the  Rodes  mare,  was  bred 
in  lines  that  so  far  as  known  were  almost  identical 
with  those  of  Seely's  American  Star.  The  most  suc- 
cessful sire  and  perpetuator  of  trotting  speed  of  all 
the  sons  of  Mambrino  Chief  was  Herr's  Mambrino 
Patchen,  a  full  brother  of  Lady  Thorn  (2.18  1-4).  The 
most  renowned  son  of  Mambrino  Patchen  as  a  sire 
was  Mambrino  King,  whose  dam  was  by  Alexander's 
Edwin  Forrest,  and  whose  second  dam  was  a  running-, 
bred  daughter  of  Birmingham  by  Stockholder,  a  son 
of  Sir  Archy.  Now  it  is  a  singular  coincidence  that 
the  second  dam  of  Mambrino  King  traces  through 
short  and  direct  lines  to  the  same  source  as  that  from 
which  came  both  Seely's  American  Star  and  the  Rodes 
mare,  dam  of  Mambrino  Patchen. 

The  daughters  of  Seely's  American  Star  were  more 
successful  as  producers  of  trotting  speed  than  those 
of  any  other  stallion  of  his  time.  The  same  is  also 
true  of  the  daughters  of  Mambrino  Patchen.  That 
daughter  of  Mambrino  Patchen  which  has  proved  most 
successful  as  a  perpetuator  both  of  uniform  and  ex- 
treme trotting  speed  is  Alma  Mater.  The  dam  of  Alma 
Mater  was  Estella,  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  import- 
ed Australian;  second  dam  Fanny  G.,  by  imported 
Margrave;  third  dam  Miss  Lancess  by  Lance,  a  son 
of  American  Eclipse;  and  fourth  dam  by  Aratus,  son 
of  Director,  by  Sir  Archy.  The  pedigree  of  the  third 
dam  of  Alma  Mater  presents  a  combination  of  blood 
lines  very  similar  to  that  which  produced  Gano,  sire 
of  the  dam  of  Mambrino  Patchen. 


292 


THE    WINNING    COMBINATION. 

The  above  facts  are  familiar  to  all  who  have  studied 
the  Year  Book,  the  Trotting  Register  and  Bruce's 
American  Stud  Book.  The  most  famous  son  of 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  as  a  progenitor  of  light  har- 
ness speed  was  George  Wilkes  (2.22).  The  two  grand 
sons  of  George  Wilkes  that  outrank  all  others  as  sires 
of  standard  speed  are  Allerton  (2.091-4),  foaled  in 
1886,  and  now  the  sire  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
that  have  made  records  in  standard  time ;  and  Ashland 
Wilkes  (2.171-4),  foaled  in  1882,  and  now  credited 
with  ninety-six  standard  performers.  Allerton 
(2.09  1-4)  is  inbred  to  George  Wilkes.  He  was  got  by 
Jay  Bird  (2.313-4),  whose  sire  was  George  Wilkes, 
and  whose  dam  was  by  Mambrino  Star  (2.28  1-2),  son 
of  Mambrino  Chief,  his  second  dam  being  the  trotting 
mare  Lady  Franklin  (2.29  3-4),  by  Esty's  Black 
Hawk,  a  son  of  Vermont  Black  Hawk.  The  dam  of 
Allerton,  Gussie  Wilkes,  was  by  Mambrino  Boy 
(2.26 1-2) ;  his  second  dam,  Nora  Wilkes,  was  by 
George  Wilkes;  third  dam  by  the  English  thorough- 
bred imported  Consternation,  and  fourth  dam  by 
Downing's  Bay  Messenger.  Mambrino  Boy  (2.261-2), 
that  got  the  dam  of  Allerton  (2.09  1-4),  was  by  Mam- 
brino Patchen,  whose  dam  was  by  the  thoroughbred 
Gano,  and  second  dam  by  a  son  of  Sir  William  of 
Transport  by  Sir  Archy.  The  dam  of  Mambrino  Boy 
(2.26  1-2)  was  Roving  Nelly,  a  daughter  of  Strader's 
Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr. ;  second  dam  by  Berthune,  a  thor- 
oughbred son  of  Virginian,  by  Sir  Archy;  and  third 
dam  by  Thornton's  Rattler,  by  Sir  Archy. 

Ashland  Wilkes  (2.171-4)  was  by  Red  Wilkes,  whose 
sire  was  George  Wilkes,  and  whose  dam.  Queen  Dido, 

293 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

was  by  Mambrino  Chief.  The  second  dam  of  Red 
Wilkes  was  by  Red  Jacket,  whose  sire  was  the  closely 
inbred  Morgan  Billy  Root,  also  known  as  Comet.  The 
dam  of  Red  Jacket  was  by  Sherman  Morgan,  a  son  of 
Justin  Morgan.  The  third  dam  of  Red  Wilkes  was 
probably  thoroughbred.  It  was  so  claimed  as  stated 
in  Gen.  W.  T.  Withers'  Fairlawn  catalogue,  and  never 
disputed  by  those  who  knew  her,  to  our  knowledge. 
The  dam  of  Ashland  Wilkes  was  Daisy  B.,  by  Admin- 
istrator (2.29  1-2)  ;  second  dam  by  the  English  thor- 
oughbred imported  Knight  of  St.  George;  third  dam 
by  Pilot,  Jr.,  and  fourth  dam  by  Woodpecker,  a  thor- 
oughbred son  of  Bertrand  by  Sir  Archy. 

Both  of  the  above  stallions  were  strongly  bred  in 
Hambletonian,  Mambrino  Chief  and  Morgan  lines,  but 
both  inherited  a  large  share  of  the  thoroughbred 
element  other  than  that  which  they  derived  from 
Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  and  Mambrino  Chief.  Many 
other  grandsons  of  George  Wilkes  were  more  strongly 
bred  in  trotting  lines  and  inherited  much  less  of  the 
running  element  than  Allerton  (2.09  1-4)  and  Ashland 
Wilkes  (2.171-4),  yet  these  two  outrank  all  the  other 
grandsons  of  that  famous  speed  progenitor  as  sires  and 
perpetuators  both  of  uniform  and  extreme  speed. 

Electioneer  is  credited  with  a  greater  number  of 
standard  performers  than  any  other  son  of  Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian.  He  is  credited  on  the  books  of  the 
National  and  American  Trotting  Associations  with 
one  hundred  and  sixty-five  trotters  and  two  pacers,  a 
total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  that  made  records 
in  conformity  with  their  rules  in  standard  time.  A 
few  of  these  records  were  rejected  by  the  Register 


294 


THE    WINNING    COMBINATION. 

Association,  and  the  Year  Book  credits  Electioneer 
with  but  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  trotters  and  two 
pacers.  The  dam  of  Electioneer,  as  is  well  known, 
was  Green  Mountain  Maid  by  Sayre's  Harry  Clay 
(2.29) ;  second  dam  Shanghai  Mary,  whose  sire,  un- 
doubtedly, was  Iron's  Cadmus,  her  dam  being  running 
bred. 

The  three  sons  of  Electioneer  that  have  sired  the 
greatest  number  of  standard  performers  are  Sphinx 
(2.201-2),  Norval  (2.14  3-4)  and  Chimes  (2.30  3-4). 
Sphinx  is  now  credited  with  sixty-two  trotters  and 
thirty-four  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records, 
a  total  of  ninety-six.  The  dam  of  Sphinx  was  the  great 
brood  mare  Sprite  by  Alexander's  Belmont;  second 
dam,  the  famous  great  brood  mare  Waterwitch,  by 
Pilot,  Jr.;  third  dam,  Fanny  Fern,  by  Kinkead's  St. 
Lawrence ;  and  fourth  dam,  Brenda,  by  a  thoroughbred 
colt,  believed  to  be  Oliver,  a  son  of  the  great  four-mile 
race  record-breaker  Wagner,  inbred  to  Sir  Archy. 

Norval  (2.14  3-4)  is  now  credited  with  sixty-five 
trotters  and  nineteen  pacers  in  the  standard  list,  a 
total  of  eighty-four.  The  number  of  his  trotters  that 
have  made  records  of  2.30  or  better  is  greater  than 
that  got  by  any  other  son  of  Electioneer.  The  dam  of 
Norval  was  Norma,  by  Alexander's  Norman,  25;  sec- 
ond dam  by  Todhunter's  Sir  Wallace;  third  dam 
Eagletta,  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  the  renowned 
Kentucky-bred  four-mile  thoroughbred  race  horse  Grey 
Eagle,  by  Woodpecker,  a  son  of  Bertrand  by  Sir  Archy. 
Todhunter's  Sir  Wallace,  sire  of  the  second  dam  of 
Norval,  was  by  the  thoroughbred  Sir  Albert,  a  son  of 
Thornton's  Rattler  by  Sir  Archy. 


295 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Chimes  is  now  the  sire  of  fifty-two  trotters  and 
twenty-nine  pacers  that  have  made  standard  records, 
and  eight  of  them  are  in  the  2.10  list.  No  other  son 
of  Electioneer  has  ever  had  as  good  opportunities 
as  Chimes,  both  as  regards  the  breeding  of  the  mares 
mated  with  him  and  the  development  of  his  get  by  a 
trainer — E.  F.  Geers,  who  probably  has  no  superior 
as  a  developer  of  speed  and  a  race  driverr — and  no 
other  son  can  compare  with  him  as  a  sire  of  extreme 
speed.  Three  of  the  get  of  Chimes  are  trotters  with 
records  of  2.06  or  better.  The  fastest  of  these  is  the 
world^s  ex-champion  trotter,  The  Abbot  (2.031-4), 
whose  dam,  Nettie  King  (2.20  1-4),  as  has  already  been 
stated,  was  very  highly  bred,  being  by  Mambrino  King 
and  from  a  daughter  of  Hamlin  Patchen.  His  next 
dam  was  by  a  son  of  the  running-bred  Kentucky  Whip. 
The  next  fastest  of  the  get  of  Chimes  is  The  Monk 
(2.05  3-4),  whose  dam,  Goldfinch,  is  by  Mambrino 
King;  second  dam  by  Hamlin  Patchen;  third  dam  by 
Dorsey's  Old  Golddust,  and  fourth  dam  by  imported 
Giencoe.  Fantasy  (2.06)  is  the  next  fastest  of  the 
trotters  got  by  Chimes,  and  her  mile  in  2.08  3-4  as  a 
three-year-old  still  stands  as  the  world's  champion 
record  for  three-year-old  trotters.  Homora,  the  dam 
of  Fantasy,  was  by  Almonarch  (2.24  3-4),  whose  sire 
was  Almont,  by  Alexander's  Abdallah,  and  whose  dam 
was  Hi,  a  thoroughbred  daughter  of  Asteroid,  he  by 
the  renowned  Lexington  and  from  a  daughter  of  im- 
ported Giencoe.  The  second  dam  of  Fantasy  (2.06) 
was  by  Hamlin's  Almont,  Jr.  (2.26),  whose  sire  was 
Almont  and  whose  dam  was  by  Blood's  Black  Hawk, 


296 


( 


'^MP. :  1  K 


r  v.. 


■     i  <     hf^   it 


I 


i 


THE    WINNING   COMBINATION, 

his  second  dam  being  by  the  registered  thoroughbred 
Boner's  Saxe  Weimer,  by  Saxe  Weimer,  a  son  of  Sir 
Archy. 

The  four  most  successful  grandsons  of  Alexander's 
Abdallah  as  sires  of  speed  are  Nutwood  (2.18  3-4), 
Robert  McGregor  (2.171-2),  Altamont  (2.26  3-4)  and 
Hamlin's  Almont,  Jr.  (2.26).  The  dams  of  all  four 
of  these  were  from  mares  whose  sires  were  bred  in  run- 
ning lines.  The  blood  lines  of  all  four  of  the  above 
except  Altamont  have  already  been  given.  Altamont 
was  by  Almont,  33.  His  dam  was  Sue  Ford  by  Brown 
Chief,  a  son  of  Mambrino  Chief,  11;  second  dam 
by  the  thoroughbred  imported  Hooten;  third  dam 
by  Bertrand,  thoroughbred  son  of  Sir  Archy^ 
and  fourth  dam  by  imported  Buzzard.  Altamont 
made  his  record,  2.26  3-4,  to  wagon.  His  get 
that  have  made  standard  records  include  thirty 
trotters  and  twenty  pacers,  and  seven  of  them  made 
records  from  2.04  1-4  to  2.09  3-4. 

The  two  most  prominent  grandsons  in  the  paternal 
line  of  Dictator  (sire  of  Jay-Eye-See,  2.10)  as  sires  are 
Direct  (2.051-2)  and  Directum  (2.051-4).  The  sec- 
ond dam  of  Direct  was  by  Jack  Hawkins,  a  thorough- 
bred son  of  Boston,  and  the  dam  of  Directum  was 
by  Venture  (2.271-4),  a  running-bred  horse  that  was 
got  by  Williamson's  Belmont,  a  son  of  American  Boy, 
and  whose  dam  was  by  American  Boy,  Jr.,  another  son 
of  American  Boy. 

Now  from  what  source,  or  from  which  of  their  an- 
cestors, is  it  probable  that  all  the  noted  animals  above 
named,  derived  their  speed  capacity  and  their  ability 
to  perpetuate  the  same  that  made  them  superior  to  all 


297 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

others  got  by  the  same  sires?  Was  it  from  those  that 
had  been  bred  by  careful  selections  for  many  genera- 
tions expressly  for  extreme  speed  and  the  best  of  other 
racing  qualities,  or  was  it  from  such  of  their  ances- 
tors, if  they  had  any,  as  were  not  bred  in  racing  lines 
and  were  never  distinguished  as  winners?  There  are 
the  facts ;  now  what  is  the  logical  conclusion  to  be  de- 
rived from  them?  Is  it  probable  that  the  improve- 
ment which  has  been  made  in  trotting  speed  from  the 
earliest  times  to  the  present  is  due  wholly  to  the  in- 
tensifying of  the  instinct  or  inclination  to  stick  to 
the  trotting  gait,  that  has  resulted  from  education, 
and  by  breeding  from  animals  whose  ancestors  for 
many  generations  in  every  direction  have  been  trained 
at  the  trotting  gait?  Is  it  not  more  probable  that 
they  inherited  from  some  ancestors  not  noted  for 
trotting  instinct  a  greater  amount  of  some  quality  or 
qualities  upon  which  speed  and  race  winning  ability 
depends,  than  was  possessed  by  their  trotting  ances- 
tors? Perhaps  no  one  may  be  able  to  explain  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  why  this  is  so,  but  that  it  is  so  every 
one  can  see  for  himself. 


298 


Chapter  XIII. 
THE  THOROUGHBRED  ELEMENT. 


Though  it  may  appear  incredible  to  some  that  a 
horse  whose  ancestors  have  been  bred  for  centuries  to 
run,  and  have  been  raced  -successfully  at  that  gait,  can 
transmit  any  quality  that  will  improve  the  speed  and 
other  race-winning,  record-breaking  abilities  of  a  trot- 
ter, yet  it  cannot  be  denied,  without  misstating  facts, 
that  nearly  all  the  famous  trotters  whose  breeding  is 
known  which  have  held  world's  champion  trotting  rec- 
ords, from  Dexter  (2.171-4)  to  Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2), 
have  inherited  a  greater  share  of  the  thoroughbred 
than  of  any  other  known  element. 

It  has  already  been  learned  from  the  Year  Book 
and  Trotting  Register  that  the  sires,  in  the  Hamble- 
tonian,  Mambrino  Chief  and  Clay  families,  which 
have  proved  most  successful  as  perpetuators  of  uni- 
form, standard  speed,  also  show  quite  close  thorough- 
bred crosses  in  their  pedigrees,  as  does  also  Sidney 
Dillon,  sire  of  the  present  world's  champion  trotter, 
Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2),  and  several  others  of  extreme 
speed. 

The  eminent  author,  Herbert  Spencer,  once  remarked 
of  a  certain  matter,  "It  seems  difficult  to  conceive  that 


299 


TEE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

this  can  be  so,  but  we  see  that  it  is  so."  This  remark 
applies  to  the  thoroughbred  cross  close  up  in  so  many 
of  the  fastest  American  trotters,  the  most  successful 
sires  and  such  famous  producing  dams  as  Alma  Mater, 
Miss  Russell,  Midnight,  old  Dolly,  Nell,  Dame  Winnie, 
etc.  It  is  probable  that  if  horsemen  generally  pos- 
sessed a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject  of 
heredity,  the  mystery  would  appear  to  them  less  diflS- 
cult  of  solution.  A  little  reflection  must  convince 
everyone  that  race-winning,  record-breaking  runners 
and  race-winning,  record-breaking  trotters  must  and 
do  possess  several  qualities  in  common.  Some  of  them 
are  speed  ability,  endurance  and  courage,  or  a  dispo- 
sition to  win,  to  beat  an  opponent  in  a  contest,  or  die 
in  the  attempt.  These  are  inherited  qualities  that 
are  transmitted  from  parent  to  offspring. 

The  ability  to  go  fast  at  any  gait  depends  largely 
upon  the  attribute  that  is  known  generally  to  horse- 
men as  nerve  force.  Some  of  the  most  eminent  writers 
on  the  breeding  of  trotting  stock  have  failed  to  call 
attention  to  this  fact.  The  late  John  H.  Wallace  de- 
voted columns  of  space  in  Wallace's  Monthly  to  "in- 
stinct," the  inclination  to  stick  to  the  trotting  gait, 
but  not  a  single  column,  and  so  far  as  the  writer  can 
remember,  not  even  a  single  paragraph,  to  this  most 
important  of  all  speed  qualities — nerve  force.  The 
late  Dr.  Elwood  Harvey  was  the  first  author  who 
explained  the  nature  and  working  of  this  important 
quality  in  a  chapter  of  the  work  entitled  "Every 
Horse  Owner's  Cyclopedia."  His  remarks  on  this  sub- 
ject are  worthy  of  careful  study  by  every  practical 


mo 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

breeder  of  trotting  stock  and  every  student  of  the 
trotting  problem.  We  quote  from  the  above  work  as 
follows : 

A  horse  may  be  lazy  and  yet  trot  fast  when  called  on;  or 
he  may  be  very  spirited,  always  willing  to  do  his  best,  and 
not  be  able  to  trot  in  four  minutes.  A  very  strong  horse 
that  can  trot  off  with  a  loaded  market  wagon  behind  him  at  a 
good  gait,  and  keep  it  up  for  miles,  may  not  be  a  fast  trotter 
at  any  weight.  Or  a  horse  may  have  most  excellent  bottom — 
may  take  two  men  in  a  wagon  over  common  roads  sixty  miles 
a  day,  and  repeat  it  every  day  in  the  week;  or  he  may  be 
good  for  ten  miles  an  hour  under  the  same  circumstances,  and 
not  be  able  to  trot  a  single  mile  in  four  minutes. 

Speed,  then,  does  not  depend  entirely  on  the  form,  nor 
on  the  way  of  going,  nor  on  the  strength,  nor  on 
the  spirit  of  a  horse.  The  value  of  a  fast  trotter  may  depend 
greatly  upon  these  qualities,  but  not  his  speed.  Any  form, 
and  any  style  of  going,  may  do,  if  he  can  step  fast  enough; 
and  the  power  to  step  fast  does  not  depend  on  form,  spirit, 
strength,  nor  stamina — ^though  all  of  these  do  modify  the 
manifestation  of  that  power  upon  which  speed  does  depend. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  essential  element  of  speed  at  any 
gait,  whether  ft  be  running,  pacing  or  trotting.  All  the 
movement  is  effected  by  the  contraction  of  those  masses  of 
lean  meat  called  muscles.  The  muscles  of  voluntary  motion 
are  each  attached  to  two  bones  by  its  two  extremities,  and 
the  bones  being  attached  to  each  other  by  a  movable  joint 
when  the  muscle  contracts  one  or  both  of  the  bones  must 
move;  and,  of  course,  the  rapidity  of  the  movement  depends 
on  the  rapidity  of  the  contraction.  An  animal  wills  the  move- 
ment of  a  limb;  that  will,  which  originates  in  the  brain,  is 
transmitted  through  nerves  to  the  muscles;  they  contract 
and  the  limb  moves. 

It  would  seem,  then,  that  if  a  horse  desired  to  go  fast,  and 
his  muscles  were  large  enough,  and  his  joints  supple,  he 
must  needs  do  so  whenever  he  tries;  for  if  the  muscles  obey 
the  will,  and  the  will  is  that  they  shall  contract  quickly,  the 


301 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

whole  thing  would  be  accomplished.  Speed  would  then  de- 
pend on  the  size  of  the  muscles,  and  the  willingnoss  of  the 
horse  to  contract  them  rapidly.  But  the  facts  are  clearly 
against  such  a  theory;  for  all  have  noticed  that  a  highly 
spirited  horse  that  is  very  strong  to  pull  a  load  may  not  be 
able  to  go  fast  in  any  gait. 

The  truth  is  that  all  power  to  move  lies  not  in  the  brain 
which  is  the  seat  of  the  wha,  nor  in  the  muscles  which  are 
the  place  of  the  movement,  but  between  the  two,  in  the  spinal 
cord,  which  is  the  centre  of  the  nervous  system,  and  the 
generator  of  the  power.  The  spinal  cord  lies  in  the  back 
bone,  filling  the  canal  or  hole  that  extends  through  its  whole 
length,  and  giving  off  nerves  from  every  part  of  it  that  go 
to  all  parts  of  the  body.  It  is  connected  to  the  brain,  and 
appears  like  a  prolongation  of  it  from  the  cavity  of  the  skull 
along  the  cavity  of  the  spine;  but  the  rational  view  of  the 
spinal  cord,  and  the  one  that  is  sustained  by  comparative 
anatomy,  is  that  which  considers  it  the  centre  of  the  nervous 
system;  the  brain  being  an  extension  of  it  in  one  direction, 
and  the  nerves  an  extension  of  it  in  another  direction,  the 
whole  constituting  the  nervous  system. 

The  brain  is  the  seat  of  all  mental  manifestations — of 
thought,  memory,  love,  fear,  emulation,  courage,  etc.  The 
disposition  and  character  depend  upon  the  brain,  but  it  is  not 
necessary  to  animal  life.  The  nerves  extend  to  every  part  of 
the  body;  some  of  them  convey  sensations  to  the  brain,  as  of 
heat,  or  cold,  or  pain;  others  of  them  go  to  the  muscles,  and 
convey  to  them  the  power  that  is  generated  in  the  spinal  cord 
by  which  they  contract.  The  will  to  move  is  conceived  in  the 
brain,  and  goes  to  the  spinal  cord,  which  then  generates  the 
power  to  move.  The  power,  which  for  convenience  of  lan- 
guage we  will  call  nerve  force,  is  sent  through  the  nerves  and 
expended  in  the  muscles,  effecting  their  contraction  and  a 
consequent  movement  of  the  bones  to  which  they  are 
attached. 

The  brain  may  be  compared  to  a  telegraph  operator,  the 
spinal  cord  to  his  galvanic  battery,  and  the  nerves  to  the 
wires.     A  chicken  with  its  head  off  kicks  and  flutters  with 


302 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

strength  enough  to  fly  over  a  barn,  or  to  run  around  it.  The 
spinal  cord  generates  the  power  for  a  short  time,  and  would 
do  so  longer  but  for  the  loss  of  blood;  but  the  brain,  that 
gives  intelligent  direction  to  the  power,  is  not  there.  The 
battery  is  sending  its  electricity  along  the  wires  without  the 
control  of  the  operator. 

If  enough  of  the  nerve  force  is  sent  to  the  muscles  to  move 
the  body  a  mile  in  six  minutes,  it  is  six  minutes  in  being 
generated.  If  the  same  amount  of  nerve  force  can  be  gen- 
erated and  sent  to  the  muscles  in  three  minutes,  we  might 
suppose  that  the  body  would  be  moved  the  same  distance  in 
three  minutes;  and  herein  would  appear  to  lie  all  the  differ- 
ence of  speed.  But  the  amount  of  force  generated  by  the 
nervous  centre,  and  expended  by  the  muscles,  in  a  given 
time,  does  not  exactly  explain  the  difference  of  speed. 
One  horse  may  expend  as  much  nerve  force  in  pulling 
a  load  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  three  minutes  as 
another  does  in  trotting  a  whole  mile  in  the  same  time,  and 
yet  not  be  able  to  trot  a  mile  in  four  minutes.  The  speed 
depends  on  the  ability  of  the  spinal  cord  to  generate  and 
send  to  the  different  sets  of  muscles  concerned  in  locomotion, 
the  required  amounts  of  nerve  force  in  a  quick  succession  of 
discharges,  and  on  the  capability  of  the  nerves  to  transmit  it 
to  the  muscles  in  large  quantity  in  a  short  time. 

The  difference  between  trotting  fast  and  drawing  a  heavy 
load  is  not  in  the  amount  of  force  used,  but  in  the  manner 
of  using  it.  In  one  case,  the  nerve  force  is  sent  to  a  muscle 
during  the  whole  time  of  taking  a  slow  step  with  a  heavy 
load;  and  in  the  other,  it  is  all  expended  in  an  instant,  causing 
the  muscle  to  contract  quickly,  and  thereby  projecting  the 
horse  rapidly  forward — ^the  acquired  momentum  continuing 
after  the  muscle  ceases  to  contract.  It  is  like  driving  a  nail 
by  a  succession  of  blows,  that  could  not  be  moved  by  the 
same  aggregate  amount  of  pressure  diffused  and  continued 
over  the  whole  time  of  driving. 

The  essential  quality  of  speed,  at  any  gait,  is  therefore  a 
certain  organization  of  the  nervous  system,  and  this  is  the 
one  thing  needful  in  every  case.  This  is  what  we  breed  for 
when  we  breed  for  speed. 

303 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Nerve  force  is  an  inherited  quality.  The  more  of 
it  that  an  animal  possesses  the  greater  will  be  his  or 
her  speed  ability.  It  was  the  larger  amount  of  nerve 
force  and  the  unusual  capacity  for  generating  it  rap- 
idly and  applying  it  quickly  that  made  Flying  Child- 
ers  and  Eclipse  the  fastest  horses  of  their  day  in 
England,  and  Sir  Archy,  Wagner,  American  Eclipse, 
Boston  and  Lexington  the  fastest  runners  and  most 
successful  race  horses  of  their  days  in  America.  It 
was  this  same  quality  that  enabled  Flora  Temple 
(2.19  3-4),  Dexter  (2.17  1-4),  Goldsmith  Maid  (2.14), 
Rarus  (2.131-4),  St.  Julien  (2.111-4),  Jay-Eye-See 
(2.10),  Maud  S.  (2.08  3-4),  Nancy  Hanks  (2.04),  Alix 
(2.03  3-4),  The  Abbot  (2.031-4),  Cresceus  (2.021-4) 
and  Lou  Dillon  (1.581-2)  to  become  world's  record- 
breaking  trotters.  These  wonderful  record-breakers 
must  have  inherited  the  valuable  quality  or  qualities 
that  enabled  them  to  perform  these  remarkable  feats 
from  some  thoroughbred  ancestor  or  ancestors,  near 
or  remote,  that  possessed  speed  ability.  It  would  be 
as  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  these  qualities  were 
inherited  from  cold-blooded  ancestors  destitute  of  speed 
as  it  would  be  to  attempt  to  heat  a  house  by  filling 
the  fire-box  of  the  coal  furnace  with  ice  or  cobblestones 
instead  of  coal. 

The  qualities  necessary  to  enable  a  trotter  or  pacer 
to  become  a  noted  race  winner  and  world's  record- 
breaker  are  precisely  the  same  that  are  required  in  a 
thoroughbred  runner  in  order  to  enable  him  to  become 
a  noted  race  winner  and  world's  record-breaker.  Such 
animals  differ  in  no  material  respect  except  gait.  Now 
gait,  or  the  habit  of  action,  is  more  easily  modified  by 


ao4 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

education  and  training  than  either  nerve  force  and 
endurance,  which  are  physical  qualities,  or  courage, 
which  is  a  mental  one.  Any  competent  authority  on 
heredity  or  any  one  familiar  with  the  -subject  knows 
this  to  be  a  fact.  So  does  every  intelligent,  experienced 
horseman  who  is  capable  of  reasoning  from  cause  to 
effect. 

Horses  were  bred  for  racing  purposes  and  were 
raced  at  the  running  gait  for  centuries  before  the  breed 
now  known  as  thoroughbred  race  horses  was  estab- 
lished. The  qualities  which  now  distinguish  the 
noted  race  winners  were  undoubtedly  improved  during 
all  those  centuries  by  a  careful  selection  of  the  most 
successful  winners  for  breeding  purposes.  These 
valuable  qualities — speed,  courage  and  endurance — 
have  been  greatly  improved  since  the  thoroughbred 
came  into  existence  and  records  have  been  carefully 
kept,  because  the  greatest  care  has  been  used  in  the 
selection  and  mating  of  them.  The  turf  registers 
have  shown  to  all  who  were  interested  in  the  subject 
what  horses  were  most  successful  as  winners,  and  the 
Stud  Book  has  shown  the  blood  lines  of  the  winners 
just  as  the  Year  Book  and  Trotting  Eegister  have  shown 
the  most  successful  trotters  and  their  blood  lines.  Now 
as  running  race  horses  have  been  bred  a  longer  time 
than  those  of  any  other  gait  for  the  highest  rate  of 
speed,  most  noted  courage  and  greatest  endurance, 
and  with  the  greatest  care  to  avoid  the  admixture  of 
any  element  detrimental  to  these  most  important  race- 
winning  qualities,  any  one  capable  of  reasoning  can 
see  that  the  lest  thoroughbreds  of  the  present  time 
must  necessarily  possess  a  larger  amount  of  nerve 

305 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

force,  a  greater  capacity  for  generating  it  rapidly  and 
applying  it  quickly  than  any  horses  which  are  not 
strictly  thoroughbred. 

By  a  careful  selection  and  mating  for  generations  of 
those  racing  stallions  and  mares  which  have  shown 
the  strongest  inclination  to  win  and  to  keep  on  trying 
when  racing  against  an  adversary  that  outclasses  him 
in  speed,  the  'best  thoroughbred  race  horses  of  the 
present  time  uniformly  possess  a  higher  degree  of 
courage — ^that  grim,  unyielding  determination  to  win 
or  die — than  any  family  of  horses  can  possess  uni- 
formly that  is  not  thoroughbred,  and  the  same  is  true 
of  endurance.  The  law  of  heredity,  which  includes 
atavism  and  modification  by  variation,  is  such  that 
some  horses  which  are  not  thoroughbred — some  trot- 
ters for  instance — may  themselves  possess  those  quali- 
ties which  they  inherited  from  some  thoroughbred  an- 
cestor, near  or  remote,  in  as  high  a  degree  as  the  best 
of  their  thoroughbred  ancestors,  but  if  there  be  any 
deteriorating  influence  or  element,  such  as  a  slow  or 
cart  horse  cross,  in  their  composition,  such  animals, 
though  exhibiting  as  high  a  degree  of  these  valuable 
qualities  themselves,  will  not,  as  a  rule,  be  able  to 
transmit  them  to  their  offspring  with  so  great  uni- 
formity as  the  thoroughbred  animal  in  whose  compo- 
sition no  deteriorating  element  is  found.  There  is  a 
great  difference  in  thoroughbreds  in  regard  to  speed 
capacity,  courage  and  endurance,  and  ability  to  per- 
petuate the  same.  Some  may  excel  in  respect  of  one 
or  two  of  these  qualities,  and  for  some  cause  be  some- 
what deficient  in  the  others.  It  has  been  argued  that 
some   thoroughbreds   are   quitters.    Very   true.     Any 


306 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

horse  will  quit  when  not  in  proper  condition  to  race 
When  the  nerve  force  and  the  ability  to  generate  it  are 
exhausted,  the  speed  of  the  animal  must  slacken  the 
same  as  the  speed  of  a  locomotive  propelled  by  steam 
when  the  steam  is  exhausted. 

The  trotters  which  hold  the  fastest  records  in  this 
country  today  are  largely  indebted  to  some  thorough- 
bred ancestor  for  the  improvement  in  trotting  speed 
Tvhich  has  been  made  for  the  past  ten  or  twelve  years. 
In  order  to  effect  a  still  greater  improvement  it  will 
be  necessary  to  increase  the  speed  capacity  or  nerve 
force  by  introducing  a  cross  of  some  animal  that  pos- 
sesses a  larger  amount  of  this  quality  and  that 
transmits  it  with  greater  uniformity  than  any  trotter 
can  do  that  numbers  among  his  or  her  ancestors  ani- 
mals that  were  deficient  in  speed.  We  believe  that  the 
speed  of  the  American  trotter  may  and  will  be  im- 
proved in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  by  means  of  a 
first-class  thoroughbred  race-winning  cross. 

Every  one  who  has  studied  the  subject  and  carefully 
analyzed  the  pedigrees  of  the  fastest  trotters  must 
have  observed  that  the  thoroughbred  crosses  in  tticir 
pedigrees  were  confined  to  animals  belonging  to  but 
few  families.  These  are  what  some  horsemen  hari 
termed  plastic  thoroughbreds,  because  when  crossed 
with  trotters  they  readily  yield  to  trotting  influences 
or  habit  of  action,  and  at  the  same  time  retain  their 
most  valuable  qualities  unimpaired,  so  that  they  im- 
prove the  speed  and  other  valuable  qualities  of  the 
trotter.  The  most  prominent  of  these  running  strains 
are  the  Sir  Archy  and  Duroc  branches  of  the  Diomed 
family;    the    Trustee,     Margrave,    Bonnie    Scotland, 


307 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Glencoe,  Consternation,  Williamson's  Belmont  and  a 
few  others.  It  would  seem  best,  then,  when  attempt- 
ing to  improve  the  trotter  by  means  of  a  thoroughbred 
cross,  that  the  animal  selected  should  be  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  one  or  the  other  of  the  above-named 
horses,  or,  better  still,  that  like  Dame  Winnie,  Colum- 
bia and  Estella  for  example,  should  combine  the  blood 
of  several  of  them.  It  is  generally  believed  that  the 
sire  has  more  influence  in  controlling  the  action  than 
the  dam.  This  may  account  for  the  fact  that  the  best 
results  from  thoroughbred  crosses  have  been  obtained 
by  mating  thoroughbred  mares  with  good  trotting 
stallions,  animals  that  had  good  action  and  were  level- 
headed, fast  trotters. 

The  breeder  who  is  content  with  only  a  fair  rate  of 
speed  need  not  go  to  the  trouble  to  experiment  with 
the  thoroughbred  cross.  But  the  man  who  is  am- 
bitious to  breed  a  record-breaker  or  improve  the  speed 
of  the  American  trotter  should  continue  to  breed 
along  those  lines  from  which  improvement  has  resulted 
in  the  past.  The  time  may  come  when  it  will  not  be 
possible  to  effect  more  improvement  in  this  manner, 
but  it  will  not  be  until  we  have  a  family  of  trotters 
that  are  bred  purely  from  the  best  of  thoroughbred 
racing  stock.  Many  of  the  trotting  stallions  and 
mare«  of  the  present  day  approximate  that  quite  close- 
ly. Analyze  their  pedigrees  carefully,  and  it  will  be 
found  that  so  far  as  known  there  is  little  dross  or  cold 
blood  in  their  composition.  Such  stallions  as  Nut- 
wood (2.18  3-4),  Lord  Russell,  Anteeo  (2.161-2),  Del- 
march  (2.111-2),  his  sire,  Hambrino  (2.211-4), 
Expedition    (2.15  3-4),   Kremlin    (2.07  3-4),   Directum 


308 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

(2.051-4),  Direct  (2.051-2),  Sidney  Dillon  and  many 
others  do  not  come  so  far  from  it  as  may  appear  at 
first  glance.  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  and  Mambrino 
Chief  had  but  very  little  of  the  element  that  can  be 
proved  as  cold  blood. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Messenger,  an  import- 
ed running  horse,  was  the  founder  of  the  present 
American  trotter.  There  have  been  other  trotters  in 
this  country  outside  of  his  descendants,  but  nearly  all 
the  2.10  trotters  and  all  of  the  world's  champion  trot- 
ters since  Dexter's  time  have  been  descendants  of 
imported  Messenger.  It  has  been  claimed  that  Mes- 
senger was  not  a  thoroughbred.  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  he  was  running  bred  and  was  raced  with  fair 
success  in  England.  There  were  better  bred,  faster 
and  more  noted  race  horses  in  his  day  both  in  England 
and  America,  and  several  in  this  country  were  much 
more  successful  as  sires  of  race  winners  than  he.  Mes- 
senger, however,  was  one  of  the  most  plastic  of  thor- 
oughbreds. Some  of  his  near  descendants  had  beautiful 
natural  trotting  action,  and  when  trained  to  trot 
would  readily  stick  to  that  gait.  The  two  of  his  sons 
that  were  most  prominent  in  the  foundation  stock  of 
the  American  trotter  were  Mambrino  and  Bishop^s 
Hambletonian.  The  dam  of  Mambrino  was  better 
bred  than  imported  Messenger  himself,  yet  Mambrino 
was  a  failure  as  a  running  race  horse,  and  this  fact 
would  indicate  that  he  threw  back  to  some  ancestor 
of  Messenger  that  was  not  a  thoroughbred.  In  look- 
ing up  the  ancestors  of  those  record-breaking  trotters 
that  had  a  thoroughbred  inheritance  through  their 
dams,  it  will  be  found  that  the  thoroughbreds  from 


309 


THE    AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

whom  they  derived  their  inheritance  were  better  bred 
than  imported  Messenger  and  hence  possessed  a 
higher  degree  of  valuable  racing  qualities  than  did 
Messenger  himself. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  some  turf  writers  that  the 
effect  of  a  near  thoroughbred  cross  in  a  trotter  will 
make  the  animal  rattle-headed,  liable  to  break  and  run 
when  urged  to  a  high  rate  of  speed.  This  seems 
plausible,  especially  to  the  unsophisticated,  and  it  may 
have  proved  so  in  some,  perhaps  many,  cases.  It  does 
not  require  many  trotting  crosses  as  a  rule,  however, 
to  overcome  this  tendency  to  be  unsteady  in  most  thor- 
oughbreds that  are  from  the  plastic  f.imilies.  Tw. 
good  strong  trotting  crosses  on  a  thoroughbred  mare, 
bred  from  the  plastic  strains,  will  generally  suffice. 
Alcantara  (2.23)  was  bred  that  way.  Mike  Bower- 
man,  who  trained  Alcantara  and  drove  him  to  a  race 
record  of  2.23  as  a  four-year-old,  informed  us  by  letter 
several  years  ago,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry,  that  Alcan- 
tara was  very  level-headed  and  seldom  made  a  break. 
His  dam.  Alma  Mater,  was  from  the  thoroughbred 
Estella,  and  Mambrino  Patchen,  sire  of  Alma  Mater, 
was  from  a  daughter  of  the  thoroughbred  Gano. 

The  veteran  trainer,  Charles  Marvin,  has  probably 
had  more  experience  in  training  trotters  that  were 
from  thoroughbred  mares  and  from  mares  whose  dams 
were  thoroughbred,  than  all  the  other  trainers  in 
America.  Speaking  of  the  thoroughbred  cross  in  his 
excellent  work  entitled  "Training  the  Trotting  Horse," 
Mr.  Marvin  says :  "I  want  all  the  good  thoroughbred 
blood  that  can  be  controlled."    He  also  says:     "My 


310 


THE    THOROUGHBRED    ELEMENT. 

experience  has  been  in  training  horses  from  thorough- 
bred mares,  that  their  heads  are  as  good  as  the  average 
trotting-bred  horses^  heads/^  Mr.  Marvin's  experience 
was  mostly  with  the  get  of  Electioneer,  a  horse  that 
has  been  held  up  by  turf  writers  as  possessing  greater 
action  controlling  power  than  any  other  trotting  sire; 
but  how  they  really  know  this,  or  upon  what  grounds 
they  account  for  it,  we  have  never  been  able  to  learn. 
It  seems  certain  that  Electioneer's  second  dam  was 
by  Iron's  Cadmus,  a  running-bred  son  of  Beache's 
Cadmus,  by  American  Eclipse,  and  if  so  it  is  certain 
that  his  third  dam  was  running  bred.  It  has  been 
stated  upon  good  authority  that  the  filly  believed  to 
have  been  Shanghai  Mary,  by  Iron's  Cadmus,  that  Mr. 
Coffein's  son  took  with  him  when  he  left  his  father's 
place  in  Ohio,  was  from  a  running-bred  mare.  The 
fact  is  that  no  other  trotting  stallion  ever  had  such 
opportunities  as  were  given  Electioneer,  hence  it  is  not 
possible  to  know  what  they  could  have  done  in  the  way 
of  getting  trotters  from  thoroughbred  mares,  and 
mares  that  were  from  thoroughbred  dams.  Another 
fact  that  those  who  have  examined  the  Palo  Alto  cat- 
alogues know  is  that  Electioneer,  as  a  rule,  got  faster 
and  better  trotters  from  mares  with  the  thoroughbred 
cross  close  up  than  from  those  most  strongly  bred  in 
what  is  termed  trotting  lines. 

There  has  been  so  much  prejudice  against  the  intro- 
duction of  the  thoroughbred  cross  and  so  much  bitter- 
ness and  abuse  by  theorists  who  have  written  in  oppo- 
sition to  it  that  very  many  are  ignorant  of  the  facts 
bearing  upon  this  question  that  are  contained  in  the 


311 


THE   AMERICAN    TROTTER. 

Tear  Book  and  Kegister.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
death  of  Leland  Stanford,  the  adoption  of  the  standard 
rules,  and  the~prejudice  against  a  thoroughbred  cross 
in  a  trotting  pedigree,  created  by  the  writings  of  the 
late  J.  H.  Wallace,  there  would  probably  now  have 
been  not  less  than  ten  two-minute  trotters,  and  the 
two-minute  line  would  have  been  passed  without  the 
aid  of  the  wind  shield. 

The  future  is  full  of  promise  for  the  American 
trotter.  We  believe  that  it  will  be  many  years  yet  be- 
fore the  limit  of  his  speed  is  reached.  Of  course,  the 
reduction  will  be  more  gradual  as  the  record  is  low- 
ered and  the  intervals  longer  between  the  clipping  off 
of  a  fraction  of  a  second.  As  breeders  of  trotting 
stock  become  more  enlightened,  some  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive of  them  will  experiment  systematically  and 
judiciously  with  the  thoroughbred  cross  as  did  the 
late  Gov.  Stanford  at  Palo  Alto.  They  will  continue 
to  breed  up  as  fast  as  the  Hambletonian,  Mambrino 
Chief,  Clay  and  Black  Hawk  trotters  can  assimilate 
the  racing  blood,  until  finally  every  element  of  dross 
has  been  eliminated  from  the  American  trotter.  The 
result  will  be  an  animal  that  will  possess  all  the 
racing  qualities  of  the  thoroughbred  runner,  and  in 
as  high  a  degree  as  they  exist  in  the  best  of  that  breed. 
They  will  stick  to  the  trot  as  tenaciously  as  the  best 
of  trotters  have  ever  done.  They  will  be  uniformly 
handsome,  stylish,  docile  animals,  and  possess  as  much 
finish  and  quality  as  the  best  thoroughbreds  that  have 
ever  been  produced.    Two-minute  trotters  will  then  be 


312 


THE    THOROUOEBRED    ELEMENT. 

as  plentiful  as  2.10  ones  are  now.  It  may  take  half  a 
century  to  accomplish  this,  perhaps  more,  but  its  ac- 
complishment is  among  the  possibilities  and  so  is  a 
record  of  1.55  or  better  for  a  mile  without  artificial 
aid,  by  a  trotter  so  bred. 


END. 


313 


INDEX. 


Abdallah    (Alexander's),    52,    54, 

74,  76,  78. 
Abdallah  (Old),  52,  53. 
Abdallah  (Pacing),  270. 
Aberdeen^.  62,  90,  93. 
Abraham,  186. 
Alcalde,  262. 
Alexander,  137. 
Alexander  Button,  138. 
Alix,  285. 
Almack,  199. 
Alma  Mater,  114. 
Amazonia,  53. 

Amazonia  and  Sophonisba,  199. 
American  Clay,  135. 
American  Girl,  133. 
American     Star     (Seely's),     193, 

194,  195,  196,  197,  198. 
American     Star     (Stockholm's), 

194,  195,  196. 
Andrew  Jackson,  123. 
Andy  Johnson,  138. 
Arabian  (Markham's),  13. 
Arion,  65. 
Aristos,  184. 
Ashland,  263. 
Ashland  Chief,  263. 
Ashland  Wilkes,  293. 
Atlanta.  286. 


Bald  Galloway,  24. 
Bayard.  222. 
Bay  Chief,  77. 
Bay  Roman,  75. 


Belle  of  Wabash,  130. 

Bellfounder,  Imported,  38. 

Ben  Franklin,  184. 

Benton  Family,  The,  201. 

Betsy  Baker,  54. 

Betsey  Trotwood,  88. 

Bicara,  118. 

Blackwood,  205. 

Blanco,  238,  239. 

Blaze,  18,  20. 

Blood  Lines  of  Noted  Winners, 

272. 
Blucher,  79. 

Blue  Bull  (Pruden's),  229. 
Blue    Bull    (Wilson's),    227.    228, 

229,  230,  231,  232,  233,  234».  235. 
Bonnie  Scotland,  Imported,   42. 
Boston  Blue,  44. 
Boston  Horse,  45. 
Breeding  in  the  Future,  212. 
Brown  Hal  (2.12  1-2),  248. 
Buckhunter    (Carlisle    Gelding) , 

25. 
Byerley  Turk,  15,  17,  18,  22. 


Cade,  18,  24. 

Cassius  M.  Clay,  126. 

Cassius    M.    Clay,    Jr.    (Amos'), 

133. 
Cassius  M.   Clay,  Jr.    (Neaves'). 

128. 
Cassius  M.  Clay,  Jr.  (Strader's), 

134. 
Catton.  39. 


315 


INDEX. 


Champion  Family,  The,  198. 
Champion  (Gooding's),  200. 
Champion  (Grinnell's),  199. 
Champion  (Scobey's),  199. 
Champion  Pacing  Records,  250. 
Charles  Caffrey,  189. 
Charles  Kent  Mare,  57. 
Charley  B.,   200. 
Childers  (Bartlett's),  21. 
Childers  (Flying),  18. 
Chimes,  296. 
Clara,  86,  279. 
Clark  Chief,  120. 
Clay  Family,  The,  121. 
Clay  Pilot.   129. 
Cobden,  185. 
Consternation,  42. 
Coriander,  51. 
Cresceus,  288, 
Croft's  Partner,  22. 


Daniel    Lambert    (Hippomones), 

179,  180.  181,  182,  183. 
Dame  Winnie,  255. 
Darley  Arabian,  15,   17. 
Dauntless,  101. 
Dexter,  279. 
Dictator,  62,   85,  297. 
Diomed,  Imported,  32,  33,  34,  35, 

36. 
Direct,  89. 
Director,  89. 
Dolly,  136. 
Dolly  Spanker,  66. 
Durango,  134. 
Dutchman,  48,  274. 


Eclipse,  14,  24. 
Egbert,  61.  94,  95,  96. 
Electioneer,  61,  62,  294,  311. 
Elyria,  171,  268. 
Enchantress,  82. 
Engineer,  18. 
Engineer  2nd,  50. 
England,  Horse  Racing  in,  11. 


English  Eclipse,  20. 

English  Race  Horse,  The,  11. 

Ericsson,  120. 

Estella,  114. 

Ethan  Allen,  66.  172,  176,  178. 

Expedition,  42. 

Extinct  Trotting  Families,  193. 


Fantasy,  296. 

First  Consul  (Bond's),  121. 

Fleetwing,  131. 

Flora  Temple,  277. 

Florizel,  32,  35. 

Flying  Childers,  18. 

Flying  Morgan,  174,  175,  176. 

Fred  Crocker,  64. 


Garrard  Chief,  262. 

Gen.  Benton,  202,  203,  204. 

Gen.  Hatch,  136. 

Gen.  Knox,  186,  187,  188. 

Gen.  Stanton,  102. 

General    Stud    Book    (England), 

Established,  17. 
Gen.  Washington,  189. 
George  M.  Patchen,  127,  128. 
George  M.  Patchen,  Jr.,  137. 
George  Wilkes,  61,  65,  293. 
Glencoe,  Imported,  41. 
Godolphin  Arabian,  15,  17,  18,  23. 
Gohanna,  39. 

Goldsmith  Maid,  55,  77,  280. 
Golumpus,  39. 
Gov.  Sprague,  237. 
Grand  Bashaw,  121. 
Gray  Diomed,  33. 
Gray  Mambrino  (Foxhunter),  49. 
Green  Mountain  Maid,  63. 

Hal  Family,  The,  244,  251. 
Hambletonian  (English),  40. 
Hambletonian  (Andrus'),  70. 
Hambletonian  (Judson's),  71. 
Hambletonian      (Rysdyk's),     55, 
58,  104.  291. 


316 


INDEX. 


Hambletonian's    (Rysdyk's) 
Stud  Book,   Figrures  from,   60. 
Hambletonian  Prince,  103. 
Happy  Medium.  61,  70,  72,  73. 
Harold,  62,  82. 

Harry  Clay  (Sayre's),  132,  139. 
Havoc,  213,  214,  215,  216,  217,  218. 
Helen  M.,  185. 
Henry  Clay,  124,  125,  126. 
Highflyer,  14. 
Hip,  19. 
Hobgoblin,  23. 
Huntress,  82. 


Idol  (P«ck'«),  2«4. 
lola,  107. 


Jane,  Old.  200. 
Jay-Eye-See.  282. 
Jay  Gould,  103. 
Jenny  Lind,  227. 
Jersey  Kate,  126. 
Jigg,  22. 
Jin  Black,  56. 
Joe  Hooker,  262. 

Justin  Morgan,  140,  141,  142.  143, 
144,  145,  146,  147.   148,  149,  150, 


Katy  Darling,  74. 
Kentucky  Clay,  135. 
Kilbuck  Tom,  257. 
King  Herod,  or  Herod,  22. 


Lady  Benton,  202. 

Lady  Patriot,  79. 

Lady  Suffolk,  49,  152,  275. 

Lady  Surrey  (Surrey  Mare),  124. 

Lady  Sutton,  151. 

Lady  Thorn,  189,  258,  259. 

Lady  Waltermire,  97. 

Lath,  23. 

Little  Brown  Jug,  247. 


Long  Island  Black  Hawk,  124. 
Lou  Dillon,  S8f. 

Lou  Milton,  290. 


Mabel,  288. 

Mac  (2.27),  152. 

Magrnum  Bonum,  42. 

Mambrino,  18,  38,  52,  58. 

Mambrino  Brave,  263. 

Mambrino  Chief  Family,  106,  110. 

Mambrino  Chief.  258,  261. 

Mambrino    Chief,    Jr.    (Fisk's), 
119,  264. 

Mambrino  Chief  and  Mambrino 
Patchen  Compared,  260,  266. 

Mambrino  King,  113,  268. 
Mambrino  Patchen  (Herr's),  111, 
112. 

Mambrino  Paymaster,  106,  107. 

Mambrino  Pilot,  119. 

Mambrino  Star,  263. 

Margrave,  Importe<^  40. 

Marske.  21. 

Masterlode,  102. 

Matchem,  24. 

Maud  S..  85,  282. 

Messenger  (Imported),  19,  28,  29, 

46,  309. 
Messenger  Duroc,  104. 
Midnight,  226. 
Miller's  Damsel,  64. 
Miss  Russell,  224. 
Mixbury  Galloway,  28. 
Moody,  206, 

Morgan  Family,  The,   140. 
Morse  Horse,  163. 
Moscow,  49. 
Muley,  40. 


Nancy  Hanks,  284. 
Nancy  Pope,  212,  213,  214,  221. 
Nancy  Taylor,  219,  220,  221. 
Narragansett  Mare,  168. 
Narragansett  Pacers,  244. 
Nelson  (2.09),  172. 


317 


INDEX. 


"Nerve  Force,"  300. 
Nettie  King,  287. 
Norman  (Alexander's),  204. 
North  American,  98. 
Nerval,  295. 
Nutwood,  224. 


One  Bye,  57. 
Orville,  40. 


Pacing  Cross,  The,  266. 

Paddy,  164. 

Pancoaat  (2.21  3-4),  llg. 

Paymaster,  42, 

Partner  (Croft's),  22. 

Pilot,  212. 

Pilot,   Jr.,    212.   222. 

Pilot,  Jr.'s,  Daughters,  223. 

Plato,  51. 

Pocahontas,  240. 

Pocahontas  Boy,  242. 

Pocahontas  Sam,  242. 

Princeps,  118. 

Princess,   70,   71,   72. 


Rarus,  281. 

Regulus,  24. 

Rhode  Island,  237. 

Robert    Fillingham    (George 

Wilkes),  67,  68,  69,  70. 
Rodes  Mare,  The,  134. 
Roxana,  23. 
Royal  George  Family,   The,  207, 

208. 


St,  Julien,  82,  281. 
St,  Victor  Barb,  25. 
Santa  Claus,  99. 
Sampson,  18,  19,  21. 
Sam  Purdy,  138, 
Screwdriver,  273. 
Seely,  Jonas,  56. 
Shales,  Old,  20. 


Shanghai  Mary,  63. 

Sherman  Morgan,   152,   153,   154. 

155,  156. 
Sidney  Dillon,  289. 
Silvertail,  56. 
Sir  Archy,   35. 
Slammerkin,  31. 
Smuggler,  238. 
Sour  Crout.    38, 
Spiletta,  21. 
Squire  Talmage  (Strader's  Ham- 

bletonian),  103. 
Stamboul  (2.07  1-2),  131. 
Star  Ethan,  185, 
Star  Pointer,  249,  255, 
Steinway,  99, 
Stranger,   190,  191,   192. 
Strathmore,  62,  97,  98,  99,  100. 
Stump-the-Dealer,  246. 
Sultan,  41,  130. 
Sunol,  283. 
Sweepstakes,  101. 
Swigert,  206. 


Tackey,  226. 

Tartar,  22. 

Tattler,  223. 

Telltale,  223. 

The  Abbot,  287. 

The  Moor,  130. 

Thomas  Jefferson,.  209. 

Thoroughbred  Element.  The, 
299. 

Thoroughbred,  Influence  of  the, 
271. 

Thoroughbred  and  Pacing 
Crosses,  252, 

Thoroughbred  Stallions  Import- 
ed to  This  Country,  37, 

Thoroughbreds  in  England,  15. 

Thoroughbreds  in  England, 
Rules  for,  16. 

Tom  Hal  (Kittrell's),  245. 

Tom  Hal,  Jr.  (Gibson's),  245, 
246,  247. 

Tom  Rolfe.  240. 


318 


INDEX. 


Top  Gallant,  272. 
Traveller  (Morton's),  87. 
Trotting  Families   from   Pacers, 

211. 
True  Briton,  145. 
Trustee,  Imported,  39. 
Truxton,  232. 
Two  Pacing  Families,  243. 


Vermont  Black  Hawk  (Morgan), 
167,  158,  159,  160,  161,  162,  163, 
164,  165,  166,  167,  168,  169,  170. 
171,  172,  173,  174,  175. 

Vermont  Black  Hawk's  Dam,  27. 

Victor  Von  Bismarck,  102. 

Volunteer,  79,  80. 


Waterwitch,  225. 

Whalebone,  48,  274. 

Whitehall,  236. 

White  Turk   (Place's),  13. 

Whynot,  26. 

Widow  Machree,  90,  91,  92. 

Wildair,  Imported,  31. 

Woodbine,  116,  117,  260. 

Woodford  Mambrino,  111,  116, 
264. 

Woodruff,  Hiram,  Writes  on 
"The  Trotting  Horse  of  Amer- 
ica^" 46. 

Yankee,  45. 
Young  Rolfe,  241. 
Young  Bashaw,  122. 


319 


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